Kiss Me Under the Mistletoe
by The Emcee
Summary: Jack is a new high school student who transferred in the middle of the fall semester. E. Aster Bunnymund is an avid art student who is part of a small band of misfits. Jamie is the kid who's friends with the popular and the unpopular kids and who befriends Jack on his first day at school. Pitch is the guy who hates everyone. Everyone except Jack, that is. What's a new kid to do?
1. In Which Jack is the New Kid

Title: Kiss Me Under the Mistletoe

Author: The Emcee

Pairing: Bunny/Jack, Pitch/Jack

Rating: T (for the hell of it)

Summary: Jack is a new high school student who transferred in the middle of the fall semester. E. Aster "Bunny" Bunnymund is an avid art student who is part of a small band of misfits. Jamie is the kid who's friends with the popular and the unpopular kids and who befriends Jack on his first day at school. Pitch is the guy who hates everyone. Everyone except Jack, that is. But when Jack starts getting closer to Bunny than him, he starts lashing out in some not so nice ways. AU.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, actors, or the fandom.

A/N: Yes, it's finally happening. I'm doing a chapter RotG story. I wasn't going to initially, but I decided to anyway. I just can't stay away. Let me know what you think! R&R. Enjoy!

**Chapter One:**

**In Which Jack Is the New Kid**

Jack hated moving to a new school. He really, really did. It took forever to transfer all of his school credits over and to sign up for new classes. Not only that, but he hated being the new kid. Being the new kid at a school was like being a fat person in a chorus line; regardless of whether someone was normal or abnormal, pretty, handsome, or ugly, people always had the look of morbid curiosity on their faces and stared.

Jack hated being stared at.

With his naturally white hair and his abnormally bright blue eyes, he was a walking freak show. Everyone he went, people stared and gawked at him, mostly because of his hair. Like that was his fault. It most certainly was not. He had been born with white hair. How or why it happened, no one knew. No doctor had ever been able to tell him why. If he were being honest with himself, Jack really didn't mind having white hair. Actually, it kind of suited his blue eyes and too pale skin. But it sure did get him into a lot of trouble.

No matter where he went, whether he was at school or at a mall or just out walking around, Jack would always be labeled as an attention seeker. People, mostly teenagers, would accuse him of dying his hair for attention. One time, at his last high school, he had been ragged on for it so badly that he actually pulled the guy into the boys' bathroom with him and pulled his pants down, showing him that his white hair was all natural. That was the reason why he and is foster father had moved this time. Usually, they moved around a lot because of his father's toy business, but for once it was the bullying that made North pack them up and go.

Jack didn't hate moving to a new town per se; he just hated changing schools. New towns were, well, new. He didn't know them and that made them fun to explore. New houses were just the same way. But schools were different because they were all the same. No matter what town they moved to, no matter what city or what school district, Jack's fellow peers always made it a living hell. Having to transfer credits and sing up for all new classes wasn't exactly a joy ride, either. Getting used to new teachers and how things were run was another hazard. In the end, moving in general just sucked ass.

What made everything worse, though, was that they had moved right in the middle of fall semester. That little, tiny fact made it even worse than usual. The semester was half way done and he'd probably have a ton of work to make up in order to pass his classes. But it wasn't just that. Everyone would be in the swing of things, teachers and students alike, and they knew where all of their classes were and all that jazz. Jack didn't have that luxury. He'd be the lost, weird new kid who would be the topic of heated discussion for the next few days. Or maybe forever. It was kinda the same thing and it made him feel the same way.

Currently, Jack was sitting in the passenger seat of his dad's car, staring up at his new school. It was only one story, but it looked big and spacious. The school was made up of bricks and had a nice football/track field. The student parking lot was in front of the school with the bigger lot directly in front of the school while a smaller lot stood to the left hand side. A large, round window gave a decent view into the library and the front entrances were sheltered. Students were filing in off of the buses or out of cars. Some walked across the school grounds. Most of them were talking and laughing and acting like normal teenagers. Jack sighed heavily. He really did hate being the new kid.

"Time to go, Jackie Boy!" His father boomed in his thick, Russian accent. Jack turned to him and gave him a half-hearted smiled that was totally fake and totally didn't reach his eyes.

"Yeah…" North gave him an understanding look and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"You will do well. This, I know. My belly tells me so." Jack laughed and North smiled down at him.

"Thanks, Dad." North waved his thanks off.

"Is no problem. Now go! You cannot be late for first day!" Grabbing his book bag, Jack got out of the car.

Slinging his bag over the shoulder, he turned around and waved his dad good-bye as he pulled out of the school grounds and headed towards work. Sighing, Jack started for the front entrance of his new school. Glancing side to side, Jack looked to see if there were a lot of kids still walking across the grounds. So far, there weren't that many stragglers. Keeping his eyes down, he picked up his pace and followed the rest of the student body inside.

As he walked, Jack could hear the whispers and the talking of his fellow classmates and he could feel their stares and their finger pointing. God, it really sucked to be the new kid. But he didn't say anything and he tried not to look at anyone. Instead, he quickly made his way inside and straight to the office. There were a few kids in the office, waiting in line for the secretary. Thankfully, or not so thankfully, the line quickly dwindled and it was Jack's turn. He approached the secretary and was relieved when she gave him a bright smile. Her eyes only flickered to his hair for a brief second before they met his eyes.

"Hello. Can I help you?" Jack gave her a weak, nervous smile.

"Yeah. I'm Jack. Jack Frost. The new kid." Her eyes lit up.

"Ah, yes! It's nice to meet you Jack. I'm Mrs. Cutter, the secretary. Let me just get your class schedule and the papers your parents need to fill out…"

"My dad," Jack corrected her. She gave him a slightly puzzled look. "It's just my dad and me."

"Oh. Okay. Well, I just need to get those papers for your dad…" She rummaged through the papers on her desk while Jack looked around the office. To the left corner was a door that led into the Guidance Counselor's office. On the right was a hallway that led down to the Principal and Vice Principal's offices. Bulletin boards were hanging on the wall with numerous announcements tacked onto them.

"Here ya go, Jack," Mrs. Cutter said, holding out his schedule and the paperwork his dad needed. Jack looked over his schedule.

Period 1: Algebra 2. Rm. 211. Mr. Penn.

Period 2: Intro. To Sociology. Rm. 315. Mr. Shaffer.

Period 3: P.E. Gym. Mrs. Gates.

Period 4: Chemistry. Rm. 110. Mr. Moore.

LUNCH

Period 5: Our Near Neighbor. Rm. 320. Mrs. McFair.

Period: English 3. Rm. 127. Mrs. Campbell.

Period 7: Art 101. Rm. 224. Mrs. Hershey.

"Here's a map of the school," Mrs. Cutter said, handing him one last piece of paper. Jack looked down at the map. Dear sweet Lord, how would he navigate through all of these hallways? Just then, the office door opened and a taller boy stepped inside, his brown hair drifting into his eyes.

"Hey, Mrs. Cutter? Mrs. Hershey didn't give you the Art Club's announcement, did she? There's been a change and I wanted to make sure she didn't give it to you yet." Mrs. Cutter smiled at him.

"No, she didn't give it to me, Jamie. You're good to go." The boy, Jamie, breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank God. I'd hate for people to show up on Wednesday when the club's meeting has been moved to Thursday." Jamie spotted Jack out of the corner of his eye.

"Hey, are you new here?" And it starts. Jack figured that he might as well get it over and done with.

"Yeah, I just moved here." Jamie gave him a big smile, one that made Jack feel welcomed and like he wasn't a freak.

"Sweet! My name's Jamie. Jamie Bennett. I'm a junior and the President of the Art Club. What grade are you in?" Jack forced himself to smile and, really, it wasn't all that forced. There was something about Jamie that made him feel more comfortable.

"I'm Jack. Jack Frost and I'm a junior too." Jamie beamed at him. Mrs. Cutter interrupted whatever it was that Jamie was going to say.

"Jamie, since Jack's so new to the school, why don't you show him around? I'm sure you two will get along just fine," she said, an encouraging smile on her face. At her suggestion, Jamie's eyes lit up and he turned back to Jack.

"Sure thing! That is, if you don't mind." Jack shook his head.

"I don't mind at all. I have a feeling that I'm going to need the help." Jamie laughed and they walked out of the office and turned left.

"I know that it seems big, but you'll get used to it after a while," Jamie reassured him. Jack hoped that he was right. "So, what classes do you have?" Jack handed his schedule over to the slightly taller teen.

"Cool! It looks like we've got a lot of classes together. The only ones I'm not in are Alg. 2, Gym, and Our Near Neighbor," Jamie told him as he handed Jack his schedule back. Jack felt a bit relieved that there'd be a familiar face in most of his classes. But it still sucked being the new kid.

"That's good. At least I'll kinda know someone." Jamie grinned at him as they walked up the hallway. .

"This school's a pretty nice one. I have friends at different schools and they're all jealous that I go here."

"That's good, I guess." Jamie laughed and Jack gave him a weak smile.

"Yeah. Hey, did you dye your hair? Because it looks super wicked and cool on you!" Jamie asked him. Jack sighed inwardly. He might as well get it over with.

"No, I didn't dye it. I was born with it. And it's white all over, so I can prove that I was born with it." Jamie laughed.

"I believe you. But seriously, dude, it suits you. Like, really well, actually." At that, Jack gave Jamie a genuine smile. No one had told him that before and it made him happy and very relieved that Jamie had so readily accepted him even though they just met.

"Jamie, I think we're going to be great friends." Jamie gave Jack a bright smile.

"Me too, Jack. Me too."


	2. In Which Jack Meets Bunny

A/N: Wow. I'm surprised that y'all liked the first chapter so much. I hope the second chapter doesn't disappoint you. R&R. Enjoy!

**Chapter Two**

**In Which Jack Meets Bunny**

Jamie showed Jack to his Alg. 2 class, which was located in a section of the high school that used to be part of the middle school. Apparently, from what Jamie had told him, when they did the remodeling, they took a wing from the middle school and made it part of the high school. Whatever. It just meant that Jack had a longer walk from first period class to his second period class.

He made it inside the classroom with one minute to spare. Mr. Penn was standing at the black board, writing down some equations that made Jack's head spin. Math had never been his forte and it never would be. As soon as he walked into the classroom, most of the noise and chatter quieted down, but Jack refused to look anywhere but at the teacher. Apparently, Mr. Penn had noticed the silence too, because he looked over and immediately spotted Jack. A smile quickly spread across his face as he stopped what he was doing and turned towards him. Mr. Penn was a young, tall, skinny teacher with dark hair and eyes and he seemed genuinely pleased to see Jack.

"You must be Jack Frost," Mr. Penn said. Jack nodded and shifted his book bag. "Welcome to Algebra 2. If you want, you can sit with Aster's group. They're the first group in the third row."

Jack spotted them immediately. There were three of them in the four desk group. The shortest student was chunky boy who had orange hair and a kind smile. A girl, the only girl in the group, was tiny. Like, really tiny. Ballerina tiny, actually. She had blonde hair, violet eyes, and was wearing very bright, colorful clothing. The third student was a boy who was at least six foot one. He had hunter green eyes and blue-grey hair. Jack didn't even know him and he already liked him.

The bell rang and Jack quickly made his way to his new math group. Letting his bag fall to the floor with a dull _thud_, Jack sat down and gave his group a hesitant smile. Mr. Penn placed the Alg. 2 text book on his desk.

"You'll need this."

"Thanks." The morning announcements came on and that gave everyone a chance to whisper to themselves. Jack's new group was no exception.

"Hi Jack! It's so nice to meet you at last. Rumors about a new kid showing up have been circulating around the halls for a couple of days now," the girl twittered on, giggling and smiling at him. "I'm Tooth, by the way. Toothiana actually, but just call me Tooth. And this is Sandy." She gestured to the orange haired boy. He smiled and gave Jack a friendly little wave. "And that's Aster."

Jack looked up at Aster. His blue eyes met green eyes and he felt like swooning. He didn't though because that would've been totally embarrassing. Being the new kid and having weird colored hair was bad enough; the last thing he needed was to be labeled the new-kid-who-had-white-hair-and-who-swooned-over-the-tall-kid-with-blue-grey-hair. That would've made his day. Yeah, right.

"Hello, mate. Weird hair ya got." Acting on impulse, one of Jack's hands went to his hair. The announcements rolled along as they talked.

"Your hair's not exactly normal either." Aster gave him a serious look before a small grin broke out on his face, giving him the look of a boy who had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"I think we're gonna get along just fine, Jack." Jack grinned up at him.

"I think so too." The announcements ended and Mr. Penn took his place in front of the classroom.

"Okay everyone. Time to settle down and get onto something that's really exciting: Quadratic Functions." Jack wasn't the only one who groaned at that.

Class, thank God, went by fast even though Jack spent most of it wondering what the heck they were doing. Aster and Mr. Penn helped him out and he managed to get (mostly) caught up by the time the bell rang. Jamie was waiting for him outside the classroom and Jack was happy to see him. Not that he didn't like Aster, Tooth, or Sandy – he did – but he felt more comfortable with Jamie. Besides, he had thought that Aster was pretty fine when he first laid eyes on him; after working in a group with him, Jack definitely thought he was the hottest thing since sliced bread. Not even _Finding Nemo 3D_ could compare, and that was saying something.

"How was Alg. 2, Jack?" Jamie asked him as they started heading towards Intro to Soc.

"It was okay. I really like my math group."

"Who all is in it?"

"Tooth, Sandy, and Aster." Jamie's smile widened.

"That's awesome! Those guys are great. They really are. I mean, they're kinda misfits, but that's what makes them awesome," Jamie told him. "Sandy rarely ever talks, but he's really good at sand art, both sculpting and painting. He's in the Art Club, actually. And Tooth, she's been dead set on becoming a dentist since we were all in third grade. She's really into psychology too, which has, like, nothing to do with dentistry at all." Jack laughed.

"Yeah, it really doesn't." Jamie nodded vigorously and continued.

"Anyway, Aster's also in the Art Club. Actually, he's, like, the best artist in the entire school. He used to be on the soccer team, but he quit when his friends found out he was gay." Jack quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Really? People are still freaking out if someone comes out?" Jack thought that that was kind of stupid. After all, it was the twenty-first century and a lot more people were being open about who they really were, which was a good thing.

"It's a small town, Jack. Small towns breed small minded individuals." Jack and Jamie both jumped as they heard Aster's voice from behind them. Turning to look at him, Jack and Jamie both gave him similar looks of guilt.

"Sorry, Aster. I was just telling Jack about you guys," Jamie explained.

"Yeah. He told me that you're the best artist in the school." Aster fell into pace beside them as they walked down the hall.

"Well, I guess I am. I love the work I do anyways," Aster gave them a grin. "And I don't mind if you two talk about me. So long as it's not bad, anyways. So Jack, what class do ya have next?"

"Intro to Soc." Aster's eyes lit up.

"Hey, I'm in that class." Jack smiled up at him, feeling light as a feather and stiff as a board. Oh yeah. He was definitely crushing on Aster.

"That's awesome. It's nice to have class with some familiar faces." And it really was. Having class with Jamie and Aster made Jack feel better about being the new kid. It made him feel comfortable and relaxed and that wasn't something he usually got to experience when he was new to a school. But Jamie, Aster, Tooth, and Sandy made him feel right at home. While it was kinda weird, it was also really nice.

"Yeah, well, ya might change your mind when ya really get t' know us, mate," Aster said with a smirk. Jack laughed and puffed out his chest.

"I don't think so. I like a challenge." Aster scoffed, but he was still smirking at him.

"I dunno. We're a pretty weird mix." At that, Jack rolled his eyes.

"If you haven't noticed, I'm pretty weird myself. Believe me. I doubt you could surprise me with anything you dish out." Aster's smirk widened.

"Challenge accepted, Frostbite."

Jack, Jamie, and Aster entered the Soc room. While Jamie and Aster took their seats, Jack went over to Mr. Shaffer, a man who was at least fifty and who had a big belly. He introduced himself and Mr. Shaffer gave him a book and pointed out Jack's seat. Quickly, he made his way to his seat and sat down. As he got his notebook and pencil bag out, he noticed that there was a tall, skinny boy with pitch black hair sitting behind him. And his yellow eyes were completely focused on Jack. The look in them made Jack's skin crawl, and not in a good way. More along the lines of dear-sweet-Lord-this-guy-is-a-total-creeper way.

Choosing to ignore him, Jack turned and faced the black board. Opening his notebook, he began jotting down the notes that were already written on the board. Jamie was sitting in the first seat in the first row and Aster was sitting two seats away from Jack. Crap. If at least one of them were close enough, Jack could talk to them or at least give them a look that told them how creeped out he was by the guy sitting behind him. Unfortunately, luck was rarely on his side. The bell rang and Mr. Shaffer started reciting the notes on the board and adding details and explanations to them as he did so.

"He's such a boring old man," the guy behind Jack whispered. Jack barely looked over his shoulder at him. Yep, those yellow eyes were still focused on him. Great. Wonderful. Fantastic. Not!

Jack opted to ignore him and instead tried to write down what Mr. Shaffer was explaining. In all honesty, he had been taking Soc at his old school, so he was familiar with the subject matter. Granted, they were starting a unit that he wasn't entirely familiar with yet, but he'd be able to catch up later. That's what the textbook was for. For once, it would actually come in handy.

"I absolutely _love_ your white hair," Creeper Guy whispered to Jack. His voice made Jack want to curl up underneath the covers and hide. But not just because it was creepy. Actually, it was kind of smooth and sexy. But the creepiness factor outweighed the smooth and sexy factor by, like, a billion to one.

"Is it really your natural color or do you just dye it?" At last. Someone had brought that up. Jack knew that it was only a matter of time before someone asked him about it; he just wished it hadn't been Creeper Guy.

"It's natural," Jack whispered through gritted teeth. He had dealt with creepers before. As weird as he looked/was, Jack wasn't unattractive. There had been plenty of times when girls and guys alike had approached him and asked him out. But none of them really caught his attention. So yeah, he was used to creepers. But the guy behind him gave him the feeling that he was so much more than the average, garden variety creeper.

"Oooh, that's even better. I suppose you wouldn't mind giving me a look sometime soon, eh?" Jack almost gagged. He felt another pair of eyes on him and he turned to his right to see Aster glaring at Creeper Guy. When their eyes met, Aster gave him an understanding look that said that he'd fill Jack in on Creeper Guy later.

"Mr. Pitchiner, since you seem so inclined to talk today, why don't you explain social inequality and economic stratification, hm?" Mr. Shaffer, thankfully, caused Creeper Guy to look away from the back of Jack's head. Sighing in relief, Jack couldn't help but smirk slightly at the fact that Creeper Guy had been talking blabbing.

Glancing back over at Aster, Jack saw that the taller teen was smirking himself. Then, green eyes met Jack's and they shared a smirk before the turned to face the black board.


	3. In Which Jack Has No Artistic Talent

A/N: I totally didn't think this story would be as popular or as well liked as it is right now. Thanks for all of the feedback and support, guys! It means a lot to me. R&R. Enjoy!

**Chapter Three**

**In Which Jack Has No Artistic Talent Whatsoever **

Jack was more than happy when Soc was finally over. Not that he didn't enjoy it or anything, because he actually liked Sociology and Mr. Shaffer. But Creepy Guy Pitchiner would not stop staring at him and it had been getting on his nerves. By the end of the period, he was kinda pissed about it, but he didn't' say anything. After all, it was still his first day and he was the new kid and although Jamie and Aster seemed to like Jack okay, he wasn't sure if they'd have his back if he tried to pick a fight with the obviously taller teen. Not that Jack was someone who picked fights. Actually, he preferred to keep his head down and have it still attached to his head. There have been times when he's had to raise his fists, but he always got it way worse than the other guy. One of the downsides to being skinny and of average height.

Anyway, Pitchiner was definitely a creeper with a lot of stalker-ish tendencies and Jack hated the fact that he seemed to have caught his attention. He hoped to God that he didn't have any more classes with the guy. If he did, he might have to slug him after all, and wouldn't that go over well with his dad? Jack could practically see that conversation playing in his mind. _Hey, Dad! How was work? Just wanted to let you know that I totally punched this weirdo who kept staring at me and asked to see my pubic hair because he was creeping me out. What's for dinner? _Oh yeah, that would go over oh, so well. Not!

"I've gotta get to my next class. See ya Aster, Jack!" With that, Jamie left the classroom.

"What do ya have next?" Aster asked Jack as they left the room.

"Gym with Gates." Aster grinned at him.

"Me too. Say, what other classes have ya got, mate?" Jack handed over his schedule to Aster, who looked it over. With a smile, he gave the piece of paper back to the shorter teen.

"I'm in all but two of your classes, Frostbite," Aster told him as they made their way to the gym. Jack looked up at him.

"Really?"

"Yup. Took Art 101 my freshman year and I had Chemistry last year. Mrs. Hershey teaches most of the art classes. She's a pretty good teacher; you'll like her. And Mr. Moore is kinda weird, but he makes things interesting." Jack nodded and he felt a little better. It was nice to get the low down on a few of the teachers he'd have later on.

"What's Mrs. Gates like?"

"She's a bitch."

"Oh. Is she a slave driver?" At his old school, Jack's one gym teacher, Ms. Summers, was a total slave driver. She'd make her students do figure eights in the balcony for almost half an hour before making them run a mile around the track outside. Well, at least Jack had buns of steel because of it, but still.

"She's worse, mate." Jack paled. Worse than a slave driver? Oh God…

"How?" Aster looked pale himself.

"She'll make you listen to those Aqua freaks who sing _Barbie Girl _while making you do stations and whatnot. It's horrible, especially since it's bad music that stays in your head all day long."

"Oh my God… She's worse than my last gym teacher." At least Ms. Summers never made them listen to Aqua. She always played decent music whenever they had class.

"I told ya. But Mr. Long is cool. He's a no-nonsense kinda teacher, but he's likeable and honest. I like that about him." Jack could think of a few things he liked about Aster, but he kept that to himself.

They arrived at the gym and quickly made their way to the guys' locker room. There, Jack went and introduced himself to Mr. Long, who gave him some clothes to change into. Thankfully, the clothes he gave Jack were freshly cleaned and didn't look or smell like they had been stuffed into a cardboard box for weeks on end. Luckily, Pitchiner wasn't in his gym class, so Jack didn't feel as awkward or weird about changing. After he was changed, he followed Aster out into the gym where most of the girls were already waiting along with a woman with blonde hair who must have been Mrs. Gates. Tooth was there and she waved at them when she saw them.

"It's nice to see you again, Jack! I'm so glad that you have gym with Aster and I. Are you having a good day so far?" Tooth asked him. Jack was about to answer her when Aster beat him to it.

"Pitch was staring at him like he was something to eat throughout Soc class." Tooth's mouth formed a little 'o' and her eyes widened.

"Really? Pitch is such a jerk and a complete and total creep."

"That's exactly what I thought!" Jack said brilliantly.

"Did he say anything to you?" Tooth asked him.

"He wanted to see for sure if my hair really was naturally white." At that, Tooth made a disgusted face while Aster shook his head.

"He's such a pig."

"He's a wanker, that's what he is," Aster grumbled. Just then, Mrs. Gates and Mr. Long called their classes together. While Mr. Long took his class outside to the track, Mrs. Gates explained to them what they were going to be doing.

The beep test. Of course Jack would have to do the beep test on his first day of gym class. Okay, the beep test wasn't really that hard, but still. He had already done it at his old school before he transferred and the beeping sounds got really annoying after a while. But it wasn't as though he had a choice. So, he went through the warm up stations with Aster and Tooth, doing sit ups, push-ups, step ups, and wall sits before they lined up for the test.

Jack managed to make it to level nine before he dropped out. He wasn't overly athletic, but he wasn't horrible either. Whenever he does run around like crazy is usually when it's the winter time and he's outside running around in the snow like a dog on crack. There was just something about winter weather that just made Jack want to have as much fun as possible. His dad usually worried about him catching a cold, but Jack's immune system was strong; he rarely caught a cold or the flu or anything like that.

Aster joined him on the side lines after he finished the twelfth level. Tooth made it to level thirteen. The beep test took up most of the class and after everyone was done, Mrs. Gates excused them to the locker rooms. Once Jack had changed, he took his borrowed clothes back to Mr. Long's office and waited for Aster to change before they both headed out into the gym and towards the nearest exit. They stood with the other students, listening to the chatter around them before the bell rang.

"See ya at lunch, Jack!" Aster called as he made his way to his next class. Jack gave him a slight wave before he turned and almost smacked right into Jamie.

"Oh, sorry about that, Jack! I kind of have a bad habit of sneaking up on people," Jamie told him, laughing. Jack gave him a smile and they started walking to Chemistry. Well, Jamie started walking. Jack followed him, still not entirely sure where he was going.

"It's okay. I don't mind." They made their way to Chemistry, talking as they fought through the hustle and bustle of the crowded hallways. Well, Jamie talked, Jack listened. He didn't mind it though. It was kind of nice and made him feel as though he had a friend.

That all changed as soon as Jack step foot inside the Chemistry classroom. As soon as he entered the room, his eyes caught sight of Pitch and he groaned out loud. Jamie gave him a look, but the bell rang before he could ask Jack what was wrong. Quickly, they sat in their seats as Mr. Moore started the class. Chemistry went by quickly and Aster had been right about Mr. Moore. He was a weird teacher, but he was funny and he actually made the class interesting. Since Chemistry involved scientific equations and all of that jazz, Jack wasn't all that good at it, but the teacher helped him and anyone who was struggling out.

When the bell rang, Jamie and Jack walked to the cafeteria for lunch. The cafeteria was right beside the school's auditorium. It was big, spacious, and airy, with a lot of windows that looked out into a nice, little courtyard and that made up the wall that separated the auditorium's lobby from the lunch room. Students were already in line or sitting down eating and talking and doing whatever they did. Of course, as soon as Jack stepped foot into the room, some of the whispers were turned to him. He stood behind Jamie in the pasta bar line and listened as teens behind him whispered and stared, making him feel uncomfortable.

Focusing on lunch and the fact that his stomach was making obnoxiously loud grumbling sounds, Jack grabbed a tray and followed Jamie's lead through the line. Grabbing a plate, he dished out some noodles before he poured some alfredo sauce over it. Then, he grabbed a few rolls, a bottle of tea, and a fork before he paid for his lunch. He followed Jamie to a table closest to the courtyard and was more than relieved to find Aster, Tooth, and Sandy sitting there. Jack sat down beside Aster and started to stir his noodles and sauce.

"Hey guys. What's up?" he asked. Sandy gave him a shrug and a smile, but never said a word. Jamie was right: he didn't talk. But it didn't make Jack feel uncomfortable. Actually, the silence kind of suited the shorter teen.

"Oh, the usual. I've got another essay due tomorrow for English. Mr. Laughman is brutal," Tooth told him.

"That's not as bad as having an entire packet due for Trig as well as having problems out of the book due tomorrow. Talk about brutal," Aster said, his voice sounding as grumpy as he looked. But Jack thought he looked hotter when he was grumpy. Dear sweet Lord, he needed to stop thinking about the guy. After all, he just met him!

"Well, at least you've got 3D Art to look forward to before school lets out," Jamie said, taking a bite of pasta.

"That's true. Speaking of which, Caleb said he couldn't show up for the Art Club's meeting this Thursday. It coincided with his basketball practice," Aster told him. Jamie nodded.

"It's okay. I knew that he probably couldn't make it. Caleb's more into basketball than art." At that, Jack injected himself into the conversation.

"Are all of you in the Art Club? Jamie, I know you told me that Aster and Sandy are in it. Are you, Tooth?" Tooth shook her head and swallowed her bit of salad before she answered him.

"Nope. I have no artistic talent at all. I can't even draw a tree," she told him, laughing at herself. Jack knew how she felt. He couldn't even draw a stick figure.

"Everyone has artistic talent, Tooth. It's all a matter of how good you are at it," Aster told her. She looked like she was about to argue with him, but Jack beat her to it.

"I wouldn't say that, buddy. I know for a fact that I can't even draw a stick figure. So that right there proves that you're wrong." Aster rolled his eyes and gave Jack a challenging smirk.

"Oh yeah, Frostbite?" Jack returned his smirk and bit into his roll.

"Mhm." Green eyes flashed with a deviousness that made Jack was to jump on the taller teen then and there. But he didn't. He really wanted to, but he'd rather not be thought of as the crazy, white-haired freak who liked to jump guys he just met. Hello, he wasn't a man-ho!

"Prove it."

Not one to back down from a challenge, at least not usually, Jack pulled out a notebook and his pencil. He made quick work of his stick figure and had to try very hard not to laugh at himself. It was bad. Just…bad. When he was done, he shoved it in Aster's direction. Aster, Sandy, Tooth and Jamie took one look at it before they all started laughing loudly. Well, most of them laughed loudly; Sandy was still as quiet as a mouse. Jamie was the first to calm down and speak.

"That's your version of a stick figure?"

"Yes," Jack said, laughing at his own horrible creation.

"That doesn't even look like a blob, mate," Aster said, laughter tinting his voice. Jack met his gaze, his victory assured.

""I tried to tell you and you wouldn't believe me." The laughter eventually died down and they finished up their respective lunched.

"Yeah, well, ya proved me wrong on that one. But I bet I could help you out, Jack," Aster told him. "If ya want to, that it."

"Sounds good to me," Jack told him, even though what he really wanted to say was that there was a lot he'd like Aster to help him out with. But, that would've been a bit too straight forward. That didn't stop him from thinking it though.


	4. In Which Jack is Partnered with Pitch

A/N: I've been posting my PitchFrost artwork on my deviant art account, so if y'all want to go and take a look, go ahead. My name on DA is Dranzer-Darling. I warn you, my drawings are so not the best. R&R. Enjoy!

**Chapter Four**

**In Which Jack is Partnered with Pitch**

Jack loved the fact that his house wasn't in town. It was off the beaten path, nestling comfortably in a clearing surrounded by trees. The driveway was long and the yard was big and spacious. The house itself was pretty big. With three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a nice deck out back, Jack would definitely consider it a big house, even more so since it was just him and his dad. But it was weird or uncomfortable, like some big, old houses were. His house, still full of boxes that have yet to be unpacked, was cozy and comfortable.

And the couch was totally his.

As soon as Jack walked through the door, he collapsed onto the bed and let his book bag fall to the floor. His first day had been like all first days: tiring and overwhelming. But it had been a pretty good first day. Actually, it was his best first day at a new school period, which was a pleasant surprise. Even though he had Soc and Our Near Neighbor with Pitch (thankfully, his seat was up in front and away from Jack), it had still been a pretty good day. Not even the staring bothered him by the time the final bell rang.

"Jack! Do you have homework?" his dad asked as he walked into the house. Closing the door, he made his way through the living room and into the kitchen.

"Yes," Jack said through a mouthful of couch.

"Then do it!" His dad's loud voice boomed. Jack thought, as he forced himself to sit up and pull his book bag onto the couch, that it was a good thing his dad's voice was so loud. He'd be able to hear him even when dead and buried six feet under, which, now that he thought about it, probably _wasn't_ a good thing.

"Okay, Dad." Jack set about doing his Alg 2 homework first. The bright side to math homework was that the answers to the odd numbered questions were in the back of the book; the downside was that he actually had to solve the even numbered ones.

"So, how was school?" Jack looked over his shoulder to see North standing in the kitchen doorway and smiling gently at him. They both knew how difficult school was for Jack and not because of the classes.

"It was…good actually. I met a few kids I like. They seem to like me." North's smile widened and he practically beamed at his son.

"You've made friends! That is good. We should invite them over for stroganov." North returned to the kitchen and Jack shook his head, his lips curving up into a small smile.

Now that he thought about it, yes, Jack could say that he had made a few new friends. At least, he liked to believe so. Jamie warmed up to him right away and Jack really liked Jamie in return. He could easily see them being best friends and he liked that thought. Tooth seemed very nice, even if she did talk a mile a minute. But he kind of liked that about her. Sandy didn't talk, but he always smiled and looked friendly. And Aster…

Well, Aster was a nice, tall hunk of a guy who had, apparently, had amazing art talent and an accent that made Jack want to do things with him. Things he had never done with any other guy before, which was new and different, but not unwelcome. And he was a genuinely nice guy who could dish it out as well as take it. Anyway, Jack felt immediately drawn to him and wanted to be so much more than his friend. Now that he knew for sure that Aster was gay, he couldn't help but think, and hope, that he stood a chance at hooking up with the taller teen.

Thinking about being with someone made him squirm though. Thanks to Jack's unusual hair color and overall freakiness, he never really had an actual boyfriend. Oh sure, he went on a few dates, but only one of them was a legitimate actual date, unlike his first one. His very first date had been horrible and not because of the guy or what they did. Jack's first date had been with Tommy Ranger, one of the hottest senior guys in the school he was attending at the time. Actually, Jack almost fainted when Tommy asked him out; he honestly hadn't expected one of the hottest guys, and therefore one of the most popular guys, to want to be seen with him anywhere, let alone go on a date. They went out to dinner and then to the movies. It had been an amazing time for Jack until Tommy had tried to get him out of his pants. After a lot of shouting and kind of fighting, because all Jack had been trying to do was get away from the guy, Tommy had told him to get the fuck out of his car. The next day at school, all of the popular kids, and everyone else, made fun of him and told him that he should've let Tommy see if his hair was naturally white or not.

That had been awful. Downright awful and Jack was more than thankful that, after about a month after that horrible incident, North had moved them out of the state and to another town with a school who had no idea who he was. Luckily, the next two dates after that had been so much better since the guys he had gone out with were interested in _him_ and not in his hair (both on his head and down south). However, he hadn't really felt anything with them and he moved away anyway, so it really didn't matter. So no, Jack had never had a legitimate boyfriend. Like, ever. Realizing that now kind of made Jack want to smack himself. He felt like such a noob and like he'd have no idea what to do or how to act in a relationship.

"I don't hear pencil scratching!" His dad called. Jack grinned as he started working on his math problems and called out.

"That's because your voice drowns it out!" North's thunderous laughter filled the house.

…

It was during Our Near Neighbor that it happened. Everything had been going well. Their teacher, Mrs. McFair, had been explaining to them that they'd be working on a project in pairs. He squirmed in his seat, hoping that he'd be paired up with Aster. If not Aster, then Sandy. However, Aster was paired with some girl named Shannon, who gave him a shy, yet flirty smile, and Sandy was paired with a big, jock named Tyson. As Mrs. McFair continued down her list, Jack slumped down in his chair. Well, if he couldn't be paired with Aster or Sandy anyone else would do. Except…

"Jack Frost," Mrs. McFair spoke his name and he sat up in his chair. "You'll be paired with Kosmotis Pitchiner."

Did Jack hear her right? Did she just say that his partner was Pitch? Pitch, of all people?

Being the new kid really, really sucked. Did Mrs. McFair hate him or something? But he had only been in her class for two days, so she really didn't have any reason to hate him right? Was it because he honestly did not know the capital of Mexico? Jack understands that that was a ridiculously easy question and that he ought to know more about the other nations in the world, but honestly, he had been nervous. New kid jitters and whatnot. Wasn't he allowed to have a brain fart or two or five?

Jack's wide, disbelieving eyes automatically went to Aster, who looked just as stunned as he did. Actually, when those green eyes met Jack's, he could see annoyance in them as well. He could totally relate; he was pretty annoyed too. When he looked at Sandy, the smaller teenager gave him a sympathetic look and gave him a small smile. It didn't really help Jack feel any better, but he did appreciate it anyway.

And then his blue eyes found Pitch's yellow ones. The look on Creeper Guy Pitch's face was smug and calm and it made Jack want to pantomime gag. But he didn't because Mrs. McFair was telling everyone to get into their pairs so that she could hand out the project packets. Suddenly, the room seemed brighter and airy around him and Jack turned and realized that most of the seats around him were empty. Crap! That meant that….

Sure enough, Pitch sat down at the desk in front of him and grinned at him. Jack wanted to scoot as far away from the other guy as possible. Like, out of the classroom and to the other side of the school. He'd rather be in Alg 2 and that was saying something! But Jack knew that he couldn't let the creeper get the best of him. If he did, then he'd be playing right into Pitch's hands and that would be pretty gross because Jack was pretty sure that Pitch's hands were pretty gross. So, just as Pitch opened, Jack interrupted him quite forcibly.

"Look, if you even hint at the fact that you want to see my…well, you know or if you even try to flirt with me, I will punch you. Just because you're a tall creeper doesn't mean I can't whoop your ass. Got that?" Jack's tone of voice let no room for argument. Pitch closed his mouth and tightened his jaw. All smugness and cocky attitude left his face and his yellow eyes flashed.

"Fine. If that's how you want it, then that's how you'll get it, Jack. But just to let you know, I will not fail this project because of you," Pitch practically hissed. He leaned forward and close to Jack, who automatically leaned back. "So, when I tell you what you'll be doing for our project, you'd better do it. I won't have my grade lowered just because of some snot-nosed, stuck up new kid." Jack glared at Pitch, feeling defiant and rebellious.

"I'd like to see you make me." Before Pitch could retort, Mrs. McFair arrived and gave them each a packet.

"Jack, Pitch, you two will be doing research on Chichen Itza. The instructions for the paper and the presentation are in the packet," she told them. With her glasses hanging low on her nose, Mrs. McFair gave them both a bright, happy smile. "I know that you two will do a marvelous job." At that, Jack faltered.

"I doubt that…" Mrs. McFair patted his shoulder gently.

"Now, don't be like that, Jack. You're a smart kid underneath it all." She gave him a knowing smile and Jack felt as though she completely understood new kid jitters. "I can tell." With that, she moved onto the remaining pairs who had yet to receive their assignments or packets.

"Chichen Itza. Oh, that'll be easy," Pitch said as he skimmed through his packet. Jack wanted to shrink back in his seat. Honestly, he had no idea what Chichen Itza was. Heck, he barely had any idea what was going on! Feeling like a complete idiot, he hesitantly asked Pitch.

"What's Chichen Itza?" The look the other teen gave him told Jack that Pitch clearly thought he was an idiot.

"It's the most famous ancient city in Mexico, Jack," Pitch said with an eye roll. "It was built by the Mayans and the Toltecs." Jack's mouth made an unattractive 'o'.

"I knew that." Pitch snorted.

"No, you didn't. Now, I'll research about the people who built it and the history while you research its decline. Got it?" Much like Jack's voice had been earlier, Pitch's left no room for argument.

"Okay…" Jack wanted to hit something, preferably Pitch. But, unfortunately, it looked as though he'd need him to make it through the class project and, ultimately, the class itself. Great. Just Great.


	5. In Which Jack Hates Research

A/N: Before this chapter begins, I just want to say thank you, all of you, for your support. And 123 favorites? Dang…. I must be doing something right, I suppose. Anyway, R&R. Enjoy!

**Chapter Five**

**In Which Jack Hates Research**

"It seriously bites that yer paired with Pitch," Aster told Jack as they sat down at their usual lunch table. Jamie and Sandy were already at the table and talking about some project for the Art Club. Well, Jamie was talking; Sandy would nod or shake his head in either agreement of disagreement.

"Tell me about it. But I told him before he even said a word not to start anything." Jack took a bite of his pasta and chewed it. So far, the way lunch was set up at this school was far better than any other lunch at any of his previous schools. None of them had a pasta/taco bar that rotated every week.

"Oh really? And what did ya say t' him?" Aster began eating his French bread pizza.

"I told him if he tried anything that I'd punch him. And that just because he was a creeper that didn't mean I couldn't kick his ass." At that, Aster roared with laughter and a lot of the students around their table turned to look in their direction. Jack laughed along with him and Jamie stopped talking and looked over at them.

"What're you laughing about, Aster?" he asked. Once the taller boy had calmed down, he answered him.

"Jack told Pitch off yesterday in Our Near Neighbor." Just then, Tooth sat down with her salad and pint of tea. But her food was forgotten for the moment as her eyes shone with interest and curiosity.

"Oooh! What'd I miss?" she asked them.

"Jack told Pitch off yesterday in class," Jamie told her before taking a bite of his cheeseburger.

"Told 'im he'd kick his ass if he tried anything," Aster elaborated. She turned to Jack and gapped at him.

"Did you really?" Jack nodded and took another bite of pasta.

"Yep. He got mad too." If possible, Tooth's eyes got even bigger. Jack held everyone's attention now and they waited impatiently for him to finish chewing before he elaborated.

"Spill the goods, Frostbite," Aster told him, his green eyes bright. Looking into them made Jack feel tingly all over and he wished he could be Aster's boyfriend so bad.

"Well, he told me that I better my part of the project because he wasn't going to fail because of me. Oh, and he was really snotty and stuck up too, which is funny because that's what he called me." At that, they all began to talk about Pitch as though he were a bad disease.

"That guy is the scum of the earth. Where does he get his thinking that his shit doesn't stink?" Aster asked rhetorically.

"He's just mad because Jack told him off. Pitch is so used to being a creeper that he forgot that there was a word called 'no', which is weird because that's the one he probably hears all the time," Tooth said before taking a bit of her salad.

"I think he's a weird loner who doesn't want any friends," Jamie managed to say as he finished his cheeseburger. "He used to have them in middle school, but then he changed his tune when we all entered high school." Sandy nodded and took his tray up.

"I bet his parents are creepers too," Tooth said. "It'd make sense. Birds of a feather flock together."

"He definitely couldn't have picked it up on his own," Jack added.

They finished their lunches and had just enough time to take their trays up before the bell rang. Dread filled Jack as they made their way to Mrs. McFair's classroom. They would be going down to the library today to start on their research for their projects and just the thought of having to work together with Pitch made Jack want to gag.

"Hey, Jack?" Aster asked him. Jack looked up at him.

"Yeah?" Green eyes looked away from Jack's blue ones and the shorter teen was left a bit confused. A small blush began to spread across Aster's face, making him look even cuter and hotter all at once. Was that even possible? Apparently so.

"I was wonderin'…if you're free tomorrow night, maybe we could, oh, I dunno, go to a movie and then get some coffee afterwards? Tomorrow's Friday, so…" Aster trailed off and Jack's heart stopped beating. Had…had Aster really just asked him out? Holy hell, he just _had_ to be dreaming. He just had to be.

"Like a…a date?" Jack asked, feeling his own face heat up and turn pink. Aster scratched his head and caused his blue-grey hair in the back of his head to stick up like duck fluff.

"Yeah. Like a date." Jack knew that he must have turned bright red, but he really didn't give a shit. Not when the hottest teenager in the entire school – in his opinion anyway – just asked him out on a date. Dear God, he thought that he was going to faint. He didn't though, because that would've been weird and awkward.

"I…I'd love to," Jack finally managed to say, a small, hopeful smile on his face. The relief and joy that washed over Aster's face made him look even more attractive.

"Great! It's a date. So, I'll pick ya up at six or so?" Jack nodded and smiled at him, feeling too giddy and excited for words.

"Six sounds great!" Aster smiled down at him.

"Great." They walked into the classroom as sat down in their respective seats.

Jack was still grinning like a fool even when Mrs. McFair ushered them out of the classroom and towards the library. Hanging behind the rest of the class, Jack walked with Aster and Sandy, who were just about as enthused about their project partners as Jack was.

"Tyson looks like a dick," Jack said as he eyed the beefy jock who was flirting outrageously with one of the cheerleaders in the front of the line. Sandy nodded and looked resigned and defeated.

"He is. All brawn and no brains, y'know?" Aster told him, clearly not impressed as he sized Tyson up. "We used to be friends until I came out and then he treated me like the plague. Then I quit playing soccer and sports all together and we haven't spoken a word since."

"Yep. Total douche bag material to me," Jack mumbled. Aster laughed.

"Ya got that right, mate."

"So what about your partner, Shannon? She seemed to like you," Jack teased the taller teen even though inside he was thanking every God he could name that Aster was gay. At that, Aster groaned and shook his head, his hair falling in his eyes.

"She's an okay gal, but she's wasting her time. I'm gay through and through. I've known that since I was thirteen and nothin' is changing that." Jack grinned up at him and bumped his shoulder into Aster's.

"Especially now that you've asked me out, right?" Aster smiled down at him.

"Exactly." Before they could say any more, they arrived at the library.

Stepping inside, Jack saw that the school's library was light and airy and seemed very spacious. The walls, ceiling, and the carpet were all an off-white color and most of the book cases were light grey. Further back there were dark brown cases with maroon shelves that held a lot of nonfiction and reference books. A large circle with some comfy looking chairs sat in front of the large, circular window Jack had seen on his first day of school and sunlight pouring through it. Desk with computers sat near the check-out counter. There were four groups of desks, each with a computer sitting on it and a chair in front on it. Near the right hand side, close to the large window in a sort of closed off section were more computers set up like a little computer lab. It was definitely different than most of the school libraries he's set foot into and he liked it.

"All right, class. Get together with your partners and start on your research. Don't forget that the outline and the research cards for the project are due first thing on Monday," Mrs. McFair instructed them. Jack tried and failed not to groan out loud. Sandy tugged on his sleeve and gave him a grin, reassuring smile accompanied by a thumbs up.

"Thanks, Sandy," Jack told him as the smaller teen made his way over to Tyson.

"Good luck, Jack," Aster said, giving him an understanding look. "At least you'll have our date to look forward to." It was obvious that he was trying to cheer Jack up and it worked somewhat.

"That's true. Good luck to you as well." Jack looked past Aster at Shannon, who was staring at them with a blush on her face. She wasn't the prettiest girl, but she was cute. Again, Jack thanked every God under the sun that Aster was gay.

"Don' remind me," Aster said before walking over to Shannon. Jack picked the computer desk closest to the librarian's counter, and the door, and logged on.

"Did I hear correctly? Are you going on a date with Bunny?" Pitch said smirking at him as he sat down at the desk on Jack's left. Rolling his eyes, Jack clicked open the Internet browser and hopped onto Google. With his notebook already open and his pencil laying on it, he was ready (he thought) to start. He wasn't ready for Pitch and he probably never would be.

"Did I say it was any of your business?" Jack countered.

"Oh, you're so touchy. Whatever. Just don't forget what you're supposed to be doing." Jack suppressed another eye roll. Really, did Pitch think he was that stupid? Okay, Jack wasn't the smartest guy on the planet, but he wasn't the stupidest either nor was he overly forgetful.

"I know what I'm doing, Pitch. Back off." Thankfully, Mrs. McFair's voice stopped whatever Pitch was about to say to him.

"Remember class, Wikipedia is not a reliable research source!"

Crap! Wikipedia was the first website Jack always went to when he needed to do some research. Even though he knew it wasn't always reliable, sometimes it actually had factual information. Clicking back on the browser, Jack scrolled down through the list until he saw an article titled _Chichen Itza – New World Encyclopedia_. Well, it wasn't Wikipedia. He clicked on it and scrolled down until he saw the section that talked about its decline. Oh great. It was barely a few paragraphs; certainly not enough for his portion of the project. Well, it was better than nothing. Jack jotted down the information that was listed and clicked back.

Jack continued looking at various articles, some of which were just tourist sites that didn't say anything about the decline of the ancient city. Other articles had repetitive information that Jack had already taken note of and he was starting to get a little annoyed. There were a few websites that held more information, but a lot of it talked about the tourist business of it. Sitting back in his chair, Jack ran a hand through his hair and sighed. This was going to be more difficult than he thought it would be.

"Having trouble?" Pitch asked him, his yellow eyes focused on the computer screen in front of him. Jack sighed again and nodded.

"Yeah. All of the articles and websites I've looked at say the same thing. Nothing really goes into detail." Pitch stayed silent for a moment before he turned to look at Jack.

"Well, along with the decline of the city, why not also do some research on the tourism business? They kind of go hand in hand anyway," he said before turning back to his screen. Jack glared at him.

"Why didn't you just tell me to do that in the first place?" Pitch frowned deeply and his eyes narrowed somewhat, but he remained focused on his own research.

"I was only trying to help."

_Sure you were,_ Jack thought, but he went along with Pitch's suggestion anyway. He already knew a few perfectly fine and reliable sources to get the information off of anyway. Jack picked one of the sites and began writing the information down. The bell rang before he had finished and he growled softly before logging off and gathering his stuff up. Aster and Sandy joined him as he walked out of the library and headed towards his English class. Jamie joined them as they walked down the English hallway.

"Hey! How was class?" Aster and Jack groaned while Sandy shrugged.

"Shannon is gonna be a problem," Aster told them. Jamie gave him a worried look.

"Shannon? Why? She's such a nice person…"

"Every time I asked her what she wanted to do, she would just fumble over her words and tell me she'd do whatever I didn't want to do. It's annoying! And she knows I'm gay, I know she does, but she kept giving me weird glances and kept blushing and staring. Crikey!" Aster shook his head. Jamie patted him on the shoulder before he gave Jack a smile.

"What about you, Jack?"

"Eh, it was okay. Pitch was kinda annoying, but he did help me out somewhat. I hate doing research though. It's annoying as hell." Jamie made a face and Jack quirked an eyebrow at him. "What?"

"Well, we're gonna start out biography research papers today in English." Jack wanted to bang his head against the wall.

"I hate research. I really, really, _really_ hate research."


	6. In Which Jack Goes on a Date

A/N: Merry late Christmas/Happy late Holidays to you all! I hope that you had a wonderful time. Here's a late Christmas present for you. R&R. Enjoy

**Chapter Six**

**In Which Jack Goes on a Date**

"I really need to buy clothes that aren't t-shirts and jeans," Jack told his reflection in the mirror as he styled his hair.

It was five thirty and Aster would be at his house soon to pick him up for their date. After the day he had, he really needed some time to just chill and relax with a really hot, really sweet and funny guy. Jack had a math test in Alg. 2, but thankfully, it was a group test and as his group consisted of Aster, Sandy, and Tooth, it hadn't been all that bad. But still, tests on Fridays suck in general; it was as simple as that. Soc had been okay, but he felt Pitch staring at him again. Thankfully, for both of them, he didn't say anything, but his staring at enough to put Jack on edge for the rest of the day.

Gym was bad. Just bad. Not only had he fallen down the hard balcony steps while doing figure eights, but some of the jocks had found out about his date with Aster and began teasing him. They didn't let up, not even when Mrs. Gates told them to knock it off. Jack was used to it, but it still got old. Couldn't bullies think of anything new and creative to throw at him? Considering that they were jocks with brains the size of his pinky nail, probably not. Things got a little better after that, until Our Near Neighbor. Once again, they went to the library and got into their groups and, once again, Jack was lost. He had a lot of tourism information, but he still needed more information on the decline part of Chichen Itza and nothing more specific was coming up. When he had decided to screw the computers and hit the books, the bell rang and class ended.

English wasn't all that bad either, even though they had a vocab test and had give Mrs. Campbell the name of the person they were going to write their research paper on. They had received the big packet – and it was a big ass packet – on their research paper yesterday and had to turn in their subject today. Jack had chosen to write his paper on Robert E. Lee. Aside from being history's most beloved loser, which he was even though he was a great general, there was a lot of information on him and Jack figured that it'd be easy to write a paper on him. Considering their papers had to have a minimum of twelve pages, he figured that he was all set.

Art class had been pure, unadulterated hell. They had started on shading and Jack was horrible at it. If he thought that not being able to draw stick figures was bad, not being able to shade a sphere was even worse. He had even told Mrs. Hershey that he could draw and that he couldn't even remain in the lines while coloring a picture in a coloring book, but she didn't listen. Well, she did, but she told him that she had confidence in him. When she saw his pitiful attempt at shading a sphere, and it was very pitiful, she told him that he may have to be tutored. Just remembering the look on her face made Jack cringe, but he also remembered that Aster had offered to help him out, so he felt a little better.

So yeah. All in all, it had been a not so good day for Jack. And that was why he was so happy to be going out with Aster. But it also brought another dilemma to his attention: his lack of decent clothes.

"I love t-shirts though and I look good in them," Jack told himself as he finished with his hair. "But I suppose that I'm going to need to buy dress clothes eventually. I'll need them for when I go to college and all of that, even though I'm just gonna take over the family business for dad." Jack sprayed a little bit of cologne on, not so much that he was a walking, talking cloud of cologne, but enough to make him smell nice.

"Besides, it's not like Aster is going to be decked out in a three piece suit. I'd probably keel over if he was. Mostly because he'd look so damn fine in it, though." Jack grabbed his tooth brush and squirted a bit of toothpaste on it before he started brushing his teeth.

Pressing his cell phone's screen, he saw that he had fifteen minutes left, which was perfect for him. He brushed his teeth before spitting the foam out and gently semi-rinsed his toothbrush before he brushed for a second time. After he was done, he rinsed his brush out completely, placed it back in its rightful place, and rinsed his mouth out. Once it was free of toothpaste foam, he poured some mouthwash into a small cup and began swishing it around his mouth. Spitting it out, he straightened up his shirt and gave himself a good, long look in the mirror.

Jack had decided to wear his favorite t-shirt, a white _Nightmare Before Christmas _T that had Jack, Sally, Lock, Shock, Barrel, one of the witches, and one of the demonic toys on it outlined in black ink. It hugged his body perfectly and it made him look comfortable in his faded light blue jeans. With his everyday sneakers on, Jack left the bathroom, turned off the light, and made his way to his room. Picking up his green _Avengers_ hoodie off the bed, he grabbed his wallet and put it in his pocket. Returning to the bathroom, he picked up his phone and headed down stairs.

"Aster already knows how much of a dork I am," Jack said to himself. "But if he didn't already know, he does now. I mean, _Nightmare _and _Avengers_? If that doesn't scream 'dork' and 'nerd' then what does?" He plopped down on the couch and released a nervous sigh. "I hope I don't make too bad of an impression on him. I really, really like Aster and it'd suck if he decided to never talk to me again because I said something stupid."

Just then, the door bell rang. Jack jumped up off the couch and opened the door. Standing before him was Aster, dressed in dark jeans, a dark green shirt, and a leather jacket. Holy mother of God, he looked so damn fine! And he smelled really good too, like leather and Old Spice, but not too much. He looked amazing and Jack felt so…underdressed when compared to him. Jack felt as though he could stare at him forever and he hadn't even realized that that was exactly what he had been doing until Aster cleared his throat.

"Uh, Jack?" Jack looked into those green eyes.

"Yes, Gorgeous?" He blinked and his eyes widened. Shaking his head, Jack flushed and straightened up. "I mean, yes, Aster?" But the wide smile on Aster's face told Jack that he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"'Gorgeous' huh?" Jack walked outside and closed the door.

"Shut it," he warned playfully. They made their way towards Aster's…What the heck was that?

"Um…" Jack began. Aster looked between him and his monster of a vehicle before he shrugged and grinned.

"Ya don't like Jimmy?" Jack gave him a look.

"Jimmy?" he asked. Aster nodded and opened his car door.

"It's a GMC Jimmy truck. It's got four wheel drive and it's my favorite color: green." Jack laughed and hopped into the passenger seat. The interior was tan leather and it was nice and well kept.

"You know, I never would have pegged you for a guy who likes trucks." Aster started the Jimmy up, turned around in the driveway, and they were off.

"What? You thought just because I'm gay I'd drive a PT Cruise or something like that?" Aster grinned over at him. Jack laughed and shrugged.

"I dunno. Maybe. A truck is usually the preferred choice of hicks, rednecks, and jocks. Not a guy who is the best artist in the school." They made their way into town, the radio playing music softly as they talked, and Jack felt his nervousness ebb away. He could totally do this without saying and/or doing anything dork-ish. At least, that's what he hoped.

"True, but this isn't just any truck, mate. It's a Jimmy, and Jimmys are wicked awesome."

"I gotta admit, it is a smooth ride," Jack said and it was. It was a very smooth ride and it was comfortable. He could kind of see why Aster took a liking to it.

"That it is," Aster agreed. "So, movie and coffee right? There's this nice little coffee shop just around the corner from the theater. It's locally owned. Not Starbucks, but way better. I think you'd like it."

"I haven't really been able to explore much of the town, so I don't really know where anything is or what it has. So going to the small wonders is a much better option. Besides, I don't really see the appeal of Starbucks' coffee. It's really not that spectacular." Aster's green eyes lit up and he turned to look at Jack briefly before he looked back at the road.

"Y'know what would be cool? If a group of us, you, me, Tooth, Sandy, and Jamie, took you out for a day on the town. We'd be able to show ya around and you'd get to see all of our small wonders. Plus, it'd be fun." Jack actually really liked the sound of that. Even though it wasn't a second date, not exactly, the chance to hang out with his new friends and roam the town seemed absolutely perfect. He wasn't used to hanging out with friends or anything like that, so Jack knew that it'd be a great time even though it hadn't actually happened yet.

"That sounds great! I have no idea where I'm going now anyways and hanging out with everyone would be really nice." Aster pulled into the theater's parking lot and turned the truck off. He looked over at Jack, a slightly worried expression on his face.

"You haven't had many real friends to hang out with, have ya?" Jack shifted and he got out of the truck. Aster followed him and, together, they began heading towards the theater.

"No, not really. My dad and I move around a lot and I never seem to make any friends. Or keep them once I do get to know someone," Jack admitted. Aster remained quiet for a moment and Jack cursed himself. The taller teen was probably thinking about how much of a freak Jack must be to not have made any friends, any decent friends, and how bad of an idea this date was and-

"That's sad, Jack. I mean, you're a good guy! And I like you. A lot, as a matter of fact. Somethin' must've been wrong with those guys to not like you." Jack gaped at him and Aster gave him a small, kind yet sad, smile. "I know what it's like to be considered a freak, Jack. Gay, remember?" At that, Jack gave him his own small smile.

"I remember. Thank God too, because I'd be worried that Shannon would nab you before I could." Great. Wonderful. Fan-freaking-tastic. Way to sound like a total creeper and/or stalker. Just when Jack was feeling comfortable and relaxed, he went and said something totally dorky and slightly possessive. No one likes a possessive jackass.

"You've nothin' to fear, Jack," Aster grinned at him. "I'm all yours." Jack was sure he was blushing unattractively, but he was too giddy to care all that much.

Aster bought their tickets and they headed inside the theater just in time to catch the start of the previews. They sat in one of the top rows of the theater and made themselves comfortable as the previews rolled by. There weren't many people in the theater, which Jack was thankful for. He didn't like it when theaters had a lot of people or were packed. That being said, he has never been nor will he ever go to a midnight showing. Ever. End of story.

The movie was pretty good. It had enough comedy to keep things light, but there was also action, which Jack loved. Just because he was gay didn't mean he didn't enjoy guys kicking each others' butts when they were being, well, butts. And violence was just plain awesome anyway, so it all worked out. When the movie was over, Jack and Aster left the theater and walked along the sidewalk to the main road. They turned turn and continued down the street. Jack could spot the coffee shop Aster had told him about up ahead. The sign over head of the small shop read _Coffee Stop_, which was kind of cheesy but actually fit it to a t.

"I come here a lot. They know me by now. It's kinda embarrassing," Aster told him as he opened the door for Jack.

Stepping inside, Jack looked around the small, family owned shop. It was a lot of yellows and oranges and browns and gave off a very warm feeling, which worked because it was nice and warm inside. There were small tables each with a chic little lamp that had either a yellow or orange lamp shade. The cashier's counter had a display case for the various desserts they served and there was a menu board on the wall that showed the various meals and drinks they offered. Soft music played throughout the shop and set the mood for relaxation and comfort. Jack liked it immediately. Aster stood behind him and scratched the back of his head.

"It's not Starbucks, like I said, but it's nice and cozy."

"I love it," Jack said softly before he turned to Aster. "We should come here a lot. Like, a lot a lot." Aster perked up and they headed towards the counter.

"Great! I come here almost every day. If ya want, we could come here and work on your art talent, or lack thereof." The girl behind the counter, who looked to be about twenty-two, gave them both a bright smile.

"Hi, Aster! How are you doing? On a date, I see," she said and smiled at Jack.

"Yup. Emma, this is Jack. Jack, this is Emma. She's the daughter of the owner and she's a student at the local community college." Emma's eyes lit up.

"About time you went out on a date. You're too handsome to not have someone," Emma told him before turning to Jack. "It's nice to meet you. I love your hair! It looks so soft and fluffy." Jack chuckled softly, not entirely sure what to say or how to feel.

"Thanks." Lame. Totally lame.

"Anyway, what can I get for you boys today? We've got a special on our sandwiches this weekend: buy one get your coffee half off." Aster looked over the menu and Jack followed his lead. Everything looked really good and yummy. Perfect for winter weather.

"I think I'll have my usual along with a Great Western sandwich," Aster told her. Emma then turned to Jack and she waited patiently. He looked over the menus before he made up his mind.

"I'll have a pumpkin spice latte with a roast beef Pub, please." Emma typed their orders in while a guy behind the counter, who must've been Emma's brother because he looked just like her, began getting the bread and meats and cheeses for the sandwiches.

"Okey dokey then," Emma turned and made their drinks before Aster paid her. After about five minutes, they had their sandwiches and sat down at a table.

"What's your usual?" Jack asked Aster as the blue-grey haired teen took a sip of his drink.

"Their hot caramel chocolate, complete with whipped cream and caramel drizzle. Have a sip." Aster handed Jack his drink and Jack took a sip. It was very good, not too sweet, but not too bitter. It was perfect and nice and creamy, but not too creamy.

"It's pretty good. I can see why you always get it." Jack's own pumpkin spice latte was very good and actually tasted like pumpkin spice.

They ate and talked about anything and everything and Jack was surprised to find that he wasn't nervous at all anymore. Actually, being with Aster felt so…normal, so right. Never before had he experienced something like this before and although it kind of scared him, it also made him feel good, very good, and he was sad when the date was over. Aster drove them back to Jack's house and walked Jack up to his front door. The way he acted, like a perfect gentleman, made Jack smile like a fool and he really wanted to go out with him again sometime very soon. They stood on the porch and Jack gave Aster a bright, happy smile.

"I had a really great time tonight. It was the best date I've ever had, which is believable because my dating history sucks ass," Jack told him. Aster laughed.

"Good, because it was the best I've had as well." They stood in silence, grinning like fools at each other and the world almost melted away. Almost because the porch light kept flickering on and off. Dad. Ugh! Jack sighed and rolled his eyes, sending Aster an apologetic smile.

"That would be my dad. He's kind of protective," he explained. Aster laughed.

"That's his job, I suppose," his green eyes met Jack's blue ones. "I hope we can do this again sometime soon. I had a wonderful time. I really did."

"You did?" Aster nodded and smiled at him.

"Definitely. And I really can't wait for the second date." Jack looked up at him, hope bubbling inside of him.

"You want to go on a second date with me?" This was too good to be true. Jack was going to faint.

"I do." The light flickered more and Aster released a soft laugh. "Well, I better be goin'. I'll text you, okay?"

"Okay." Aster paused hesitantly before he leaned down and placed a soft, chaste kiss on Jack's lip. Jack kissed him back after a moment's hesitation and he didn't want it to end. Unfortunately, they parted when the flickering started getting out of control.

"I'll text you," Aster told him. Jack nodded.

"'Kay. Good night." Jack smiled at him and Aster returned it.

"G'night, Jack." Aster made his way back to his truck and, sending Jack a wave, drove off. Jack stood on the porch, watching him go. And that was how his first date with Aster ended.


	7. In Which Jack Has a Good Day

A/N: I'm glad that you all liked the last chapter. I wasn't sure if I'd do a good job, but apparently I did! I hope you all like this one as well. R&R. Enjoy!

**Chapter Seven**

**In Which Jack Has a Good Day**

Closing the door behind him, Jack turned around and saw North leaning against the railing of the stairs, trying, and miserably failing, to look as innocent as a new born babe.

"Really, Dad?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow as he did so. His dad raised his hands up as though he were surrendering.

"What? I did nothing," he said. Jack wasn't fooled at all. With a roll of his eyes, Jack shook his head and sat down on the couch.

"Uh-huh. Sure. So I guess the porch light was flickering on and off by itself, right?" North laughed.

"Of course not, Jack! Dere is nothing wrong with the porch light." Jack looked over at him as his dad made his way into the kitchen. "The house is haunted. It was the ghosts."

"Ghosts. Yeah, right!" Jack mumbled under his breath. "Next time, don't make it so obvious that you're eavesdropping!" he called out loud enough so that his dad could hear him. The only response he got was thundering Russian laughter.

But Jack couldn't stop smiling despite his dad being ridiculous and overprotective. His thoughts didn't linger on how his dad kept flickering the porch light, but on Aster and how wonderful their date had been. Oh hell, wonderful couldn't even begin to describe it. Jack had had the time of his life! He thought it would've been awkward and uncomfortable, but it really wasn't. It was quite the opposite actually; Jack felt at home when he was with Aster and like he could be himself. So what if he had only just met Aster? Never before had he felt such a connection to another person, at least not romantically like this. Yes, he felt connected to Jamie, Tooth, and Sandy, but in the friendly way and not the I-want-you-to-draw-me-like-one-of-your-French-girls way.

He just hoped that he wouldn't do or say anything to mess this up because that would really suck.

…

By the time Monday rolled around, Jack was more than happy to have an excuse to not look at his English research packet. Mrs. Campbell had told them to start looking for reliable resources for their paper, something that should have been pathetically easy. And it would've been had there not been so much information on Robert E. Lee. There was a crap ton! Like, seriously, there was way too much and it gave Jack an enormous headache. Was it even possible to have too much info on one guy? Jack was starting to think so.

Thankfully, or in his case luckily, he only needed a minimum of six resources and one of them had to be a book. Jack had no problem with finding the right book; his dad had a few books on the American Civil War and, naturally, they had a lot of stuff about the famous Confederate general. On Sunday night just before bed, Jack printed out his five internet resources and made his bibliography to hand in the next day. Six sources was more than enough for him and he couldn't wait until the whole research thing was done and over with. His dreams were plagued with horrible images of papers and computer screens filled with too much information.

But aside from not having to bother anymore with his English research until, well, English class, Jack was more than happy to see Aster again. Yes, they had been texting during the weekend, but that wasn't enough. Not for him, at least. As soon as his dad had dropped him off, Jamie and Tooth came rushing up to him wearing grins on their faces and both waggling their eyebrows at him. It was like a mini whirlwind of questions, but Jack honestly didn't mind. They made him laugh and smile and they were his friends. Real friends.

"So, how was the date, Romeo?" Jamie asked.

"Aster told me you went to the movies? What did you see? Did you hold hands during the movie? Where did you go afterwards? Oooh! Did he take you to his coffee shop?" Tooth asked him, her excitement oozing out of her. "I bet he did!"

"He probably did. You know that Aster's addicted to that place," Jamie reminded her, giving Tooth a friendly eye roll.

"I know that, but it's not like Aster takes everyone there. It took him a while for him to tell us that he went there and we have been going there for, like, ever!" Tooth exclaimed before she turned her violet eyes back to Jack. "Sooooo? Are you gonna leave us hanging or what?"

"We went to see that new Tom Cruise movie, and it was pretty awesome for a Tom Cruise film," Jack told them. Jamie's eyes lightened up.

"Really? I'm not a huge Tom Cruise fan, but the previews for _Jack Reacher _looked pretty sweet," Jamie said and they began walking towards the entrance to the school.

"I don't like Tom Cruise much either. He's too full of himself, but it was a pretty good movie," Jack agreed with him. Tooth sighed.

"How can you not like Tom Cruise? He is just so handsome and talented…" Jack and Jamie shared a look and shook their heads.

"You're on crack," Jack told her.

"You've been breathing too much of that laughing gas dentists use on their patients," Jamie commented.

"You should lay off of that stuff. It could kill ya," Jack snickered softly.

"And then who would have to hide your body? Us, that's who," Jamie added.

"I may be a girl, but I pack a pretty mean punch. Just ask Pitch. I knocked a few of his baby teeth out in elementary school for putting gum in my hair and he's been afraid of me since," Tooth said in a sickeningly sweet voice and with a smile that belied the intentions behind her words. Jack and Jamie looked at her before all three of them started laughing. They were still laughing about it when they entered the school lobby. Aster and Sandy walked over to them once they heard them.

"What're you all giggling about?" Aster asked them. Jack and Jamie shared another look before they started to explain.

"Tooth thinks Tom Cruise is hot," Jamie explained. Aster lifted an eyebrow at her and she smiled innocently up at him.

"Um, ew." Aster made a disgusted faced and Tooth giggled.

"You just don't appreciate good acting talent and cute butts when you see it," she said.

"Oh, I appreciate cute butts all right," Aster said, sending a wink Jack's way, which made his cheeks redden slightly. "But Tom Cruise is a bigger jackass than Pitch and that's saying something."

"Anyway," Jamie interrupted them, holding on 'y' for a few seconds before he continued. "Jack and I told her to lay off the crack and dentist laughing gas and then Tooth told us that she'd knock a few of our teeth out like she did to Pitch back in the first grade." Sandy laughed softly while Aster let loose. A few of their fellow students turned to look at them as they made their way to class, but none of them noticed.

"I remember that. That _was_ a pretty mean swing, Tooth," Aster said.

"I wish I coulda seen that. I bet it was hilarious," Jack said. Aster grinned down at him.

"Oh, it was. I can still see tears running down his face as he cried and ran to the teacher."

As the others kept talking about it, Jack couldn't help but think to himself that he kind of felt a little sorry for Pitch. After all, Jack was more than well accustomed to being the brunt of a lot of teasing and torment. Even though he told himself that, more than likely, Pitch kind of deserved being punched by Tooth, he still felt bad for him. It made him wonder if Pitch had become what he was now – a creeper – because of what he had gone through when he was younger. Or maybe he had been that weird outsider kid that no one liked and would do anything to get attention, even if that meant saying or doing something creepy.

"Well, I'll catch you guys later," Jamie told them. "See ya!" They called their good-bye after him before they stepped into the Alg. 2 classroom. The bell rang as soon as they sat down.

"Good morning, everyone! I hope you all had a nice weekend," Mr. Penn said as he stepped into the room. The morning announcements began, interrupting most of the conversations in the room.

After the announcements were over, Mr. Penn started them on the new unit: Polynomials and Polynomial Functions. Lovely. It wasn't all that bad, however; Aster and Jack kept sharing glances and small little smiles as though they both knew a secret that they weren't going to tell. By the end of Alg. 2, Jack was feeling pretty damn good. Not even having to sit in front of Pitch in Soc and deal with his very existence could put a damper on his mood. Pitch must've been off his game or something, or maybe it was because it was a Monday, but he seemed a bit lethargic. He was unusually quiet, that was for sure, and Jack didn't feel him staring at him, which meant that he was either focused on the board or his notes.

Gym was, well, gym. As much as Jack wish he could've enjoy physical education, he just didn't. But not because he was lazy, even though he could totally be lazy. Hello! He was an American teenager after all. It was just that he and Aster had been singled out (again) to be the objects of the stupid jocks' stupid old jokes. Jack could care less if he was picked on, he had been dealing with it for, like, ever, but he didn't like it when they made fun of Aster. Aster may have stopped playing sports to pursue his love for art, but he could still play like he belonged in the NBA or NFL. And he looked good doing it too. If questioned, Jack would freely admit that he had been staring at Aster – and his cute butt – all throughout gym class with no shame whatsoever.

Chemistry hadn't been too bad either and Jack was pretty happy by the time Our Near Neighbor began. And then he remembered that they'd be turning in their bibliographies and note cards today. Craaaap! Once again, they were ushered out of the classroom, but instead of going to the library, they went to one of two computer labs that the school had. Jack walked with Aster and Sandy as they made the short trek to the lab.

"Man, I wasn't even finished getting all of my research done," Jack mumbled. Aster patted his back and Sandy gave him an encouraging smile and a wave of the hand.

"Sandy's right. Don't worry about it, Jack. It's almost over, thank God, so there's nothin' to worry about," Aster said, trying to console him. It worked somewhat.

"You're right, Aster," Jack lifted his head up and gave the taller teen a smile. "It is almost over and that means that I won't have to put up with Pitch for much longer."

"There ya go, mate!" Sandy tugged on Jack's sleeve and tried to sign something to him that Jack just couldn't understand. Aster did though, and he happily translated.

"Oh yeah, that's right. Tooth, Jamie, and Sandy are all free on Saturday. We can go roamin' the town and show ya around if ya still want," Aster said with a big smile on his face. That definitely cheered Jack and he felt himself perking up.

"That would be great! I am so excited now." Aster grinned at him.

"I knew that'd make you feel better."

They entered the computer lab and sat down with their perspective partners. As Pitch sat down on Jack's left, the white haired teen noticed that he looked a bit…haggard, almost as though he didn't get enough sleep. Pitch ran a hand over his face before he logged onto the computer. Mrs. McFair stood at the white board in the lab and instructed them on how to do a bibliography, going as far as to write down how it should look on the page.

"Do you remember your resources?" Pitch asked Jack.

"Uh, yeah. I printed them out, actually," Jack said as he opened his folder and pulled his stuff out.

"You may use Easy Bib to assist you with your bibliographies," Mrs. McFair told them. "Just don't forget that your resourced must be in alphabetical order or else you'll lose points."

Pitch opened the web browser and a Microsoft Word document before he typed Easy Bib into Google. As they plugged their resourced in, Jack couldn't help but realize that he and Pitch were actually working together. Not just that, but they were working pretty well together too, which was kinda weird. Wasn't it just a few days ago or so that Jack had told Pitch off? And now, there was a comfortable atmosphere around them and Jack didn't feel on edge or jumpy. Maybe that was because they were focused on getting their bibs done, something that only took a couple of minutes. Or maybe it was because computer labs in general were usually comfortable and had an easy atmosphere environment. Whatever it was, Jack was glad that they were able to get work done and not tear each others' throats out.

Not that Jack wouldn't give Pitch a piece of his mind; a guy could only take so much before he was forced to speak his mind. Jack didn't feel as though Pitch was going to give him a hard time though, and for that, he was grateful. Because they were both getting along – and Jack was still surprised about that! – he was able to get his note cards done. Granted, his portion of the project wasn't that large compared to Pitch's, so he was done sooner, but still. They got done and that was a very good thing. He even helped Pitch add or remove info that they'd need for their paper and their Power Point. Before the bell rang, they had turned their bib in and their note cards and Jack wished things could go that smooth and easy every day. When the bell rang, Jack made his way to English walking in between Aster and Jamie. He told them about how well class had gone and the topic shifted from English research papers to Pitch.

"Maybe he started smoking pot," Jamie said. "It would explain why he was kind of out of it and why he was so chillax today."

"No one in their right mind says 'chillax' anymore, Jamie," Jack told him, a grin beginning to form on his face.

"Jamie's never been in his right mind, Jack," Aster told him, grinning down at the brunette. "He's an art geek. What can ya say?"

"Hey! You're an art geek too. The biggest one, actually. So that makes you the King of Art Geeks!" Jamie said.

Jack was smiling and laughing when he sat down at his desk in English. He wasn't even worried about the bibliography he had to turn in or about doing the research paper for the class. All he could think about was how well he fit in with Aster and Jamie and Sandy and Tooth and how grateful he was that his dad decided to move them to this town.


	8. In Which Jack and Aster Get Closer

A/N: Now that I'm working full time, updates will be slower. And I'm working on my own original story, so that takes up even more time. But fret not! Whenever I have a day off, I always work on this story. =D Thanks for all of the support and feedback. I appreciate it; really, I do. R&R. Enjoy!

**Chapter Eight**

**In Which Jack and Aster Get Closer**

"You're doin' better already," Aster told him. Jack smiled at his encouragement and looked up at him briefly before turning back to the paper in front of him.

"You really think so?"

"Heck yeah I think so! I mean, ya actually managed to shade within the lines of the circle this time. Now that's what I call progress." Jack rolled his eyes but still smiled despite himself.

"Very slow progress." Jack sat back in his seat and looked down at what he had done.

Currently, they were in Coffee Stop with their pencils and sketchpads littering the table along with their drinks. As he took a sip of his mocha-caramel cappuccino (recommended by Aster), Jack eyed the circle on his paper, which he barely managed to draw with a compass. Aster told him that since Mrs. Hershey was making them work on shading at the moment that that'd be a good place to start. But Jack had gotten a little carried away at first, going outside of the circle or shading it too dark in one area or too light in another. After a little while, he began to get used to it, although he was nowhere near as good as Aster was. Jack figured that no one was as good as Aster period.

"Progress is progress, Jack. And you are gettin' better," Aster said. Jack felt a small bubble of pride form in his chest.

"You really think so, Aster?" Aster pulled Jack into a one armed hug. It warmed him to the core and almost made him melt. Ha! That'd be hilarious! If a kid with the last name of Frost melted from a warm hug. He mentally laughed at that before he sobered up and thought about how much of a geek he was.

"I know so. And as it's comin' from the best artist in school, it's legit." Jack was grinning at Aster when the door opened. Out of mild curiosity, he turned to see who had entered and saw Pitch walking inside with a little girl at his side. She looked exactly like him except for her eyes, which were green instead of golden.

Aster stiffened beside him and Jack had to stifle a groan. He had had such a good day at school and he had hoped that his first tutoring session with Aster would go just as well. Needless to say, Pitch hadn't been present when Jack thought about his private lesson with Aster. Pitch looked in their direction and his eyes widened before he grinned at them. The little girl at his side pulled on his sleeve and Pitch looked at her. She said something softly before he nodded and they made their way to the counter.

"I had no idea Pitch came here," Jack said without even thinking about it.

"Neither did I," Aster grumbled, obviously irritated.

"Who is that with him?" Jack watched as Pitch told Emma what he and the little girl wanted.

"His sister, I think. I dunno for sure though. I mean, I don't talk to the guy unless I have to." Jack understood that.

He really didn't talk to Pitch either unless he had to, but how he acted in school today made Jack curious. Part of him thought that something was up with Pitch, but another part told him that he really didn't know the guy well enough to tell. And anyway, it really wasn't any of his business. So what if Pitch wasn't acting like a creeper anymore? What did Jack care? Aster closed his sketchbook and tucked it safely into his book bag, which made Jack realize that he had been gawking at Pitch for a few minutes.

"Where are you going?" he asked Aster.

"I think we oughta get on outta here," Aster replied, his green eyes flashing to Pitch, who had claimed a table close to theirs.

"Yeah…Yeah, I think you're right." Jack stood up and they were about to start heading towards the door when Pitch's voice, loud and clear, stopped them.

"What? You can't even let stand me outside of school anymore, Bunnymund?" Jack looked at Aster in confusion before both he and Aster turned to look at Pitch. He was smirking at them, but Jack could tell that it wasn't even a half-hearted smirk. It was clearly forced and as fake as Paris Hilton's brain.

"I didn't know you came here, Pitchiner. It's a shame that such a nice place has to wait on someone like you," Aster said in his best arrogant voice.

But Jack wasn't fooled. Now that he was actually paying attention, he could practically see the intension that radiated between the two of them. Weird. How could he have missed something like that? Looking between the two of them, Jack could see that both Aster and Pitch were tense and stiff and there was anger and something else flashing in their eyes.

"Well, I'm sure that if _someone_ had shown me this place, I wouldn't even know about it," Pitch said and then smirked triumphantly when Aster's already tense body stiffened even more and his green eyes narrowed dangerously. "Now whose fault's that?"

The little girl tugged on his sleeve again and Pitch looked at her, his expression morphing into one of concern and love. Jack figured that now would be a good time to go. He gently pulled on Aster's hand before he walked out of the coffee shop. When Aster was outside, Jack heaved a sigh of relief as some of the tension lessened. They began to make their way to Aster's Jimmy and Jack shifted his book bag awkwardly on his shoulder, unsure of what to say or how to say it.

"I'm sorry about that," Aster said softly.

"It's okay. At least you two didn't rip each other's throats out," Jack said, adding a humorless laugh on the end of it.

"I know, but still, it was uncomfortable. I should've told you that Pitch and I have a history." Jack shrugged. They made it to the truck and Aster unlocked it. Neither of them got inside though.

"I already figured that you two had history. From what Tooth and Jamie have told me, Pitch being, well, Pitch has gone back to elementary school days," Jack told him, trying, and failing miserable, to give the guy he had the hots for an understanding, completely _not_ awkward smile.

"Yeah, but between the two of us there's _history_," Aster explained.

And that was when it dawn on Jack and it nearly knocked him on his feet. Aster and Pitch used to date?! They were a…a thing?! Really? Was Aster pulling his leg or something like that? Jack wasn't sure if he was or not, but the stiffness of their bodies and the anger and little bit of something else that flashed in their eyes told him that there was, indeed, something else going on? Did Jack walk into the middle of a very uncomfortably, slightly not too good, cliché love triangle?

"I would've told ya sooner, but I didn't think it'd matter much. It was a mistake. And we only went out a hand full of times," Aster quickly reassured him, his green eyes wide with concern and worry. Jack looked into them and saw that the taller teen was being honest and sincere with him and that made him relax a little bit.

"So, you guys used to date then?" He thought that he sounded totally nonchalant and totally not like an hysterical tween who found out that Justin Bieber really was just a brat underneath it all.

"Yeah, but it was a mistake. He was more than kinda creepy and totally not my type." Again, Jack shrugged and hopped into the truck.

"It's really not my business. I mean, what you two had or didn't have isn't going to affect us," Jack told him. Aster got in and sighed heavily.

"But it already has." Jack gave him his 'huh' look and Aster turned to him.

"Pitch was hitting on you your first day here. He's already shown an interest in you," Aster said softly.

"Yeah, but there's no way in hell that I'd date him! You should know that. I mean, Pitch is totally Creeper Guy in a baaaaad way. There is no way on this planet that I'd date him," Jack told him. Aster shook his head.

"I know that. Jack, believe me when I say that I know you'd never go for a guy like Pitch. But he…" Aster stopped and took a few deep calming breaths, his eyes closed as he did so. When he opened them again, he turned to face Jack.

"Did I ever tell you why I quit playing soccer?"

"You didn't, but Jamie told me that the guys on the team gave you hell when they found out you were gay," Jack answered him, his blue eyes watching Aster with concern. Aster chuckled humorlessly and nodded.

"Yeah, they really did give me a damn hard time once they found out that I liked guys. But did Jamie tell you how they found out?" When Jack shook his head 'no', Aster continued.

"It was after my last date with Pitch. We had had a few good times, but he really wasn't my type. I mean I liked him, but just as a friend. The thought of havin' a heavy make out with him made m' skin crawl." Jack watched Aster shudder before he shook himself. "Anyways, it just wasn't goin' to work out and I told him that and I told him why I thought that. Well, Pitch kinda lost it."

"What do you mean he kinda lost it?"

"He kept tellin' me that I was wrong and that we'd make a great pair. All I had to do was give us a chance since we had only been goin' out for a little bit. When I told him that I was more than sure that it wasn't gonna work and that nothin' he did or said could change my mind, he got pissed." Aster leaned back in his seat. "I can't really blame him. I didn't kinda lead him on, but still, he didn't need to do what he did."

"And what did he do?" Jack asked him after a moment's hesitation.

"He told every single one of my friends and teammates that I was gay. He even had a picture of us kissin' to prove it." Upon hearing that, Jack got a little mad.

"That's total bullshit! Just because you dumped him didn't give him a right to spread something like that around! At least, not as a tool for revenge. You lost all of your friends because of it!" Aster nodded.

"Yeah, I know. It still pisses me off thinkin' about it. But I'm not a wussy; I can fend for myself and everythin' like that. But it was hard at first… I stayed on the team for a little bit after that, but I quit because I couldn't handle it. I'd rather be myself around people who'd accept me than be someone I'm not to get it to stop, y'know?" Aster's green eyes turned to him and they shone with unshed tears. It pulled at Jack's heart and he reached out and grabbed Aster's hand.

"Yeah, I know how that feels." And he did. He really did. They shared a smile and Aster leaned over and placed a soft, warm kiss on Jack's lips. Jack returned it, feeling his heart melt like chocolate. Unfortunately, Aster pulled away too soon and he left Jack wanting more.

"I should probably get ya home, Frostbite."

"Yeah," Jack said brilliantly. Aster fired up the truck and they pulled out onto the main road, heading towards Jack's house.


	9. In Which Jack Blows of Steam

A/N: I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story so far. I have a few more twists and turns to add before the story is finished, so it'll be an interesting ride for sure. R&R. Enjoy!

**Chapter Nine**

**In Which Jack Blows off Steam in the Bathroom**

Once again, Jack was in the computer lab sitting beside Pitch as the black haired teen started on the rough draft of their research paper. And, once again, he was glaring at his partner, wanting nothing more than to punch him in the face. After everything that Aster had told him, he honestly couldn't be blamed for it. Pitch must have known that something was wrong because he hadn't looked at Jack once since they sat down in the lab almost twenty minutes ago. Granted, he had been focused on writing his portion of the paper, but still. Considering that Jack's glare hadn't let up, Pitch _had_ to be avoiding him.

Jack took that as a small victory. Avoiding eye contact was a sign of a guilty conscience, according to his dad who knew a little bit about stuff like that. He had been kind of a thief before becoming a toy maker, after all. So he knew that Pitch felt guilty and uncomfortable under the white haired teen's intense gaze.

It wasn't just his glare though. Whenever Pitch had asked him a question, his answers had been short, clipped one word answers full of irritation and anger. Even when he told Pitch off, Jack hadn't used that tone of voice. Given the fact that Pitch hadn't said anything for the past fifteen minutes, Jack knew that he knew that Jack was mad at him for a serious reason. He just didn't know what. Or maybe he did. Whatever. The jerk more than deserved a little hate for screwing Aster over like that just because he was dumped.

"How about you work on your part at home, eh? Class is almost over," Pitch said.

"Sure," Jack said, not startled whatsoever by Pitch suddenly talking again. Okay, he was a little startled, but his voice didn't lose the you're-so-dead-if-you-step-one-toe-out-of-line tone.

Pitch handed his flash drive over to Jack just as the bell rang. Plucking his book bag up off of the floor, Jack stalked out of the computer lab and was making his way down the hall, giving Pitch a very cold shoulder, when he felt a hand grasp the back of his neck and haul him inside the nearest boys' bathroom. Struggling to break free, for he had been lifted up off the ground, Jack looked over his shoulder only to find that a very, very pissed of Pitch had grabbed him. Sandy, Aster, and Jamie saw this, but before they could enter the bathroom, Pitch had it blocked with the two trash cans that were inside as well as both of their book bags. When he was sure that they weren't going to be bothered, Pitch turned on Jack.

It was only then that Jack realized just how tall Pitch was. Seriously, he was almost as tall, if not taller, than Aster. With his black hair and yellow eyes narrowed in a dangerous glare, he looked very intimidating and threatening. Luckily, Jack didn't really give a shit if he pissed the other teen off enough that he got punched. He never said that he had enough self-preservation or common sense to quiver in fear when a bully cornered him one on one inside a bathroom. Although, if he were being honest, being cornered in a bathroom was a first. Well, being cornered in an otherwise empty bathroom was a first. There've been a few times that Jack was pressed against a wall by a bully threatening him when he heard a toilet flush randomly. Talk about awkward.

"What the hell is your problem, Frost?" Pitch seethed in his face. "I backed off. I even tried to be nice to you and yet you still treat me as though I were the scum of the earth!"

"That's because you are!" Jack gave it right back to him, getting as close to Pitch's face as he dared.

"And what makes you say that? You haven't even been here a month! You don't know me nor do you wish to," Pitch snarled.

"I don't need to know you to know that you're a douche bag and a creep!" Jack shot back at him. "Aster told me what you did to him! How could you?!" Pitch stepped back from him, his yellow eyes wide but still menacing.

"He...he told you… Aster told you, did he?" Pitch asked him, his voice soft and quiet.

"Yes, he did, you ass. How could you do something like that, huh? That's low, even for a creep like you."

"So, he told you _everything?_" Pitch asked him again. Jack rolled his eyes, annoyed and pissed. Not only was he stuck in a bathroom with Pitch of all people, but he was going to be late for class. Great. Wonderful. Fantastic. As if he wanted to get the reputation of being the kid who was always late for class. Ugh.

"Didn't you hear me the first time? I already told you that he told me, moron," Jack snorted. Pitch's hands clenched at his sides as his cold stare bore into Jack's blue eyes.

"So, he told you what exactly, Jack? That we went out a few times and he thought I was creepy so he decided to break it off and just be friends? Did he tell you that I had had a crush on him since the fifth grade and that when he said yes to going out on a date with me that it was like a dream come true?"

Okay, Jack knew that he shouldn't have felt sorry for Pitch. He knew that Pitch had done a horrible thing to Aster and that Aster so totally did NOT deserve it. But at the same time, he did kind of feel sorry for the guy. After all, Pitch had liked Aster since the fifth grade and they were now in eleventh grade. That was six grades and how many years ago (Jack seriously sucked ass at math)? To like someone for so long couldn't have been easy, especially when they said yes to a date only to say that things weren't working out. Not that Jack wanted Aster to get back together with Pitch; he seriously didn't want that. But he was still starting to feel bad for the guy. God damn it!

"Uh…no… He kinda left that part out," Jack managed to mumble brilliantly. Pitch laughed a cold, sarcastic laugh.

"I doubt that even Aster knows about it. As you must already know, I don't have many friends, so no one knew." Jack felt himself getting annoyed and mad again. If Aster didn't know about it, then why the hell did Pitch hold it against him? How was that fair?

"If he didn't know about you having a crush on him since fifth grade, you can't really blame him for dumping your ass. How was he supposed to know?" Jack shot at him.

"Oh please, Jack. He had some idea of how much I liked him. Aster is many things, but he certainly is not stupid," Pitch answered him, adding another humorless laugh at the end.

"I wasn't usually so talkative when we dated briefly. Not unless I was really fond of someone. Aster knew that, I know he did. I constantly blabbed on our dates," Pitch confessed, looking both very sad and very upset. Again, Jack felt a bit sorry for him and again he cursed himself for feeling that way.

"I talked about anything and everything that came to my mind. Favorite movies, shows, books… I even talked about what I wanted to do when I got to college. It was only after that that he started acting as though I were Freddy Krueger." Pitch leaned against the bathroom wall, close to the door. Damn. Jack wouldn't be able to get past him, not unless he wanted to be grabbed and throw like a sack of potatoes.

"I thought that's what creeps like you strived to be: Freddy Krueger or Michael Meyers."

"No, simpleton," Pitch growled at him, his glare back in place. "I want to teach mythology. I know almost everything about every God, Goddess, legend, or myth out there. I have numerous books on them. And I told Aster all about it. That was when he started acting as though I were a freak of nature."

"Well, you have to admit that not many kids our age delve into stuff like that as, uh….passionately as you have," Jack told him.

"I don't care. It's not a disturbing hobby; it's perfectly normal. And I thought Aster understood that. But apparently, I was just too 'creepy' for him and he 'dumped' me, as you so graciously put it," Pitch snarled again. "So, I did the only thing I could think of to get back at him: I made him suffer. Aster broke my heart, so I made sure that he knew what it was like to be hated for something you can't help or control."

"That's not a good enough reason," Jack said with a roll of his eyes. "Yeah, okay, he hurt you. Big deal. High school is about break-ups and heartaches and teenage angst. It's what our parents expect for Christ's sake! It's not the end of the world."

"How would you know? How would you feel if Aster told you he never wanted to go out with you again, eh? Would it break your heart, Jack? Or would you get over it right after?" Pitch stalked back to him, towering over him and covering him in his shadow.

"I don't know how I'd feel, but I've had my share of seriously bad dates. I think I'd be able to handle it." Pitch scoffed in his face.

"I doubt that. I can already see it in your eyes. You really care for Aster, Jack." There was a knock on the bathroom door, but Jack was too busy trying to stare Pitch down to pay any attention to it.

"And I can see that you're a spoiled brat who hates not getting what he wants," Jack sneered up at him. A slow, wicked smile spread across Pitch's face. Someone pushed against the bathroom door. The trash cans and book bags gave away a little, but neither of them noticed.

"There's one thing you need to know about me, Jack. I always get what I want in the end," Pitch told him before smashing their lips together in a hard, bruising kiss.

That was when Aster pushed the door open the entire way and stumbled inside.

A/N: Sorry for the short chapter. My grandpa just died, so I'm not really into it… Yeah….


	10. In Which Jack Gets a Boyfriend

A/N: Sorry for taking so long to update. Things have been, well, they've been, let's put it that way. It's been hard, but my family and I are pushing through. Thank you for all of the support guys; you're the best in the world (kudos to those of you who understand that reference =P)! R&R. Enjoy!

**Chapter Ten**

**In Which Jack Gets a Boyfriend (Officially)**

Time stopped.

So did Jack's heart.

His blue eyes widened and were practically bulging out of his head as he pushed Pitch away as hard as he could, forcing him to collide with the bathroom wall. Oh God. Oh God oh God oh God oh God! Pitch just kissed him and Aster saw it! He didn't even want to be kissed by the guy and now Aster was probably going to think that Jack was two timing him and cheating on him, which was so not true at all! The kiss wasn't even that great; it was nothing compared to the few kisses he's shared with Aster. And now, Aster was probably going to tell Jack that he never wanted to see him again and he'd lose Jamie and Sandy and Tooth because Aster would for sure tell them what he saw and then he'd go back to being the freaky loser with white hair and too pale skin.

But Aster's glaring green eyes weren't focused on him. They didn't hold betrayal within them. Instead, they were focused entirely on Pitch and full of anger. Aster's entire body was rigid and tense and his knuckles were white from gripping the door so hard. Pitch's laughter drew Jack's attention back to him and he saw those yellow eyes reflecting the mocking laughter tumbling from the taller teenager. He didn't look at Jack; all of his attention was on Aster.

"Oh, now this, this is fun," Pitch said, his laughter dying down. "I bet you didn't think you'd walk in on us kissing."

"I wouldn't call forcin' yourself on someone else kissin', mate. And from the way Jack was struggling, he sure as hell looked like he didn't want it," Aster said, stepping into the bathroom. He never took his eyes off of Pitch and his glare never wavered.

"I can assure you, Bunnymund, that he did want it," Pitch retorted, his yellow eyes glaring at Aster. He was still smirking though and pretty much laughing in Aster's face.

"Don't give me that bullshit, so shut up, Pitchiner. I heard you two talkin' as I was tryin' to get in here. He wasn't cuddlin' up to ya or anythin' like that, so don't even bother," Aster growled, getting up in Pitch's face. Jack looked between the two of them, unsure of what to do. Pitch was a little taller than Aster, but the blue-grey haired teen had more muscles whereas Pitch was a stick.

"Why don't you make me shut up?" Pitch looked cocky, like he didn't expect Aster to do anything about it.

"You asked for it, mate," Aster side, a small smirk spreading across his face before he clenched his fists and gave Pitch a strong right hook.

The force of it caused Pitch to fall backwards and land on his ass. He cried out in pain and clutched his nose. Blood, hot and red, poured from his nose and down his face and onto the hand that was trying to keep it from bleeding. It stained his shirt and when Pitch looked back up at Aster, he was seriously pissed. Wide eyed, Jack watched as Pitch roared and rushed at Aster, punching him in the eye.

"Fuck!" Aster hissed and tried to fight Pitch off, but he was faster, which amazed Jack.

They wrestled with each other on the bathroom floor, exchanging punches and kicks and making blood fly. Jack wanted them to stop because, honestly, as awesome as it was that Aster was kinda fighting for him, he didn't want him to get suspended. Pitch he didn't care about, but he didn't want Aster to deal with the mess that Pitch started. Making up his mind, and feeling like an idiot for just standing there to begin with, Jack made his way towards them and tried to pull Pitch off of Aster, who had managed to get the upper hand after a very low blow to his almost boyfriend's package. He didn't need to hear or see Aster's reaction; Jack was hurting for him.

Pitch struggled and tried to shake Jack off, but the smaller teen wasn't going to have any of that. With a surge of adrenaline, Jack managed to hoist the black haired teen off of Aster and flung him into a bathroom stall hard enough to rattled him around. A lot. His back hit the frame of the stall while his head said a merry 'hello' to the door, causing it to fly backwards and then forwards into his head again. It would've made Jack laugh if he had been watching and wasn't dealing with a seriously messed up Aster and the group of kids that had heard the commotion and came to see what was going on.

"What is going on here? Excuse me! Excuse me!" A teacher that Jack didn't know or recognize pushed through the crowd. He stumbled into the bathroom and looked from Jack and Aster to Pitch, who was moaning and groaning on the floor, and then back at Jack and Aster.

"What in the world is going on here?" He demanded.

Jack turned to Aster, who had a swollen eye that was being to bruise, a busted lip, and a cut on his left check. He had no idea how that cut had gotten there, but Jack figured he got it when he had been wrestling on the floor with Pitch. Regardless of how he looked, and Jack wasn't going to deny that he did look pretty sexy when he was mad and panting and roughed up a bit like a bad boy, he was still sitting on the floor and fully conscious, unlike Pitch who was pretty much knocked out.

"Um…" Jack said, not sure what to say exactly.

And really, what could he say that a teacher who was balding and had a gut on him would understand and relate to? 'Hey, my kinda, sorta boyfriend overheard me arguing about him to that dickwad over there and started throwing punches when he was goaded by the asshat'? Yeah, right. Because that would work so well. He turned to meet Aster's green eyes and saw the apology in them, but before Aster could actually say it, the teacher butted in.

"Fine. If you won't tell me the story, maybe you'll be more than happy to explain it to Principal Manny," the teacher said.

"Back to class, everyone! Back to class," came Mrs. McFair's voice from somewhere in the hallway beyond the crowd of students. With disappointed remarks and curious glances, the students reluctantly shuffled away from the boys' bathroom and back to class.

"Mr. Smith, call the nurse and get her to bring a wheel chair down to help Mr. Pitchiner to her office," the teacher told a younger teacher, one Jack had only saw a handful of times in the hallway.

"Yes, Mr. Zinn," Mr. Smith replied and hurried back to his classroom. Mr. Zinn then turned to Jack and Aster.

"You two follow me to the Principal's office." Without another word, Mr. Zinn turned and left the bathroom. Jack helped Aster get up off the floor and, picking up their book bags, they followed behind the teacher.

"I'm sorry," Aster mumbled quietly. Jack looked up at him with a puzzled expression on his face.

"For what?" he asked.

"For lettin' myself get angry and punchin' Pitch. Now you'll get in trouble."

"No, don't apologize for that. It was a long time coming for him," Jack said.

"Yeah, it kinda was," Aster said, chuckling softly. They continued after Mr. Zinn, not talking for a few minutes. And then, Jack let a giggle loose and Aster looked down at him, arching a blue-grey eyebrow.

"Wha's so funny, Frostbite?" he asked. Jack looked up at him with laughter in his eyes.

"Bunnymund?" Aster sniffed and stood up tall and proud.

"It's my last name. What's so funny about that?" Jack shrugged and stopped laughing, although he kept smiling.

"Nothing. I've just never heard of a last name like that," he said.

"Yeah, well, I've never actually met and dated a kid whose real name was Jack Frost," Aster retorted. Jack tried to pout up at him, but his smile made him fail miserably.

"Hey, I never said that I didn't like your last name. It's just one that you don't hear a lot," Jack told him.

"And I never said that I didn't like my boyfriend havin' a name like Jack Frost. It suits ya. It really does," Aster said, smiling himself. Jack perked up and his bright, blue eyes met Aster's green ones.

"Boyfriend?" he asked in a hopeful voice, his heart pounding like a thunderstorm in his ears. Aster nodded and gave him a sweet, soft smile.

"Yeah. Boyfriend," he confirmed. That made Jack's toes curl and he wanted to pull Aster down and kiss him. But unfortunately, they had arrived at the office and Mr. Zinn opened up the door.

"Sit down and wait until I come and get you," Mr. Zinn instructed them. "I'm going to inform Principal Manny about the situation." They sat down and watched as he strode back into the hallway and towards the Principal's office.

Mrs. Cutter came into the office with papers in her hands. She caught sight of Jack and Aster and stopped to greet them. Before she could, she drank in the sight of Aster's less than nice and clean face and gasped.

"Oh my goodness! Boys, what happened?" she asked, concern and worry etched all over her face.

"That is exactly what they will be explaining to Principal Manny," Mr. Zinn told her as he appeared around the corner of the hallway. He motioned to Jack and Aster. "Come with me."

…

Principal Manny turned out to be a pale man of average height with hair that reminded Jack of the moon for some weird reason. He was old, but he didn't give off the energy of being old. Jack figured that he could probably run a mile, play with very rambunctious and energetic little kids and would still have enough energy to bake a dozen or so cookies. That was the kind of air he gave off.

But he could be serious when he needed to be, like when he asked Jack and Aster what happened in the bathroom and why they got into that fight as soon as they entered his office and sat down. Jack was the one who started to explain. He told Principal Manny who Pitch had grabbed him and pushed him into the bathroom, demanding to know why Jack didn't like him. That was when Aster injected himself into the conversation. He explained how he had seen Pitch force Jack into the bathroom and how the door had been blocked.

Jack watched and listened as Aster – his boyfriend! Ah, he would squeal were it not for the fact that they were in the Principal's office and that that would be very, very girly gay for him to do – spoke about how he had heard Pitch say that he always got what he wanted and that he had seen the black haired teen forcibly kiss Jack when he busted into the bathroom. When Pitch started taunting him, Aster lost his cool and punched him.

"That was how the fight started, sir," Aster said. "Jack didn't do anythin'; it was all me. I started it. I'll take whatever punishment ya give me. Just don't punish Jack 'cause, if anythin', he was trying to stop it."

"By pulling Mr. Pitchiner off hard enough that he hit his head and was knocked out?" Principal Manny asked Jack, quirking a brow. Jack shifted.

"I didn't mean for him to hit his head. I just wanted to get him off Aster. He was kind of giving it to Aster pretty badly," Jack answered him. Principal Manny looked Aster over and nodded to himself, as though he had answered his own question.

"You do look like you took quite a beating, Mr. Bunnymund."

"Pitch isn't as strong as me, but he's quick and he's smart, sir," Aster said.

"All right, then," Principal Manny said. "Here's what I'm going to do. Mr. Bunnymund, I'm going to give you two days in-school suspension since you did start the fight."

Aster released a breath and looked kind of relieved. Jack figured that he should have been. After all, two days in-school suspension wasn't nearly as bad as out of school suspension, which would've sucked because he wouldn't be allowed to go to any Art Club meetings or anything. And it was just two days. It could've been way worse than two measly days.

"I'll be sure to talk to Mr. Pitchiner once he's able to hold a decent conversation. And as for you, Mr. Frost," Principal Manny said, "after school detention today since you did knock him out, although it was unintentional."

"Yes, sir," Jack said, feeling very relieved himself.

"I'm assuming that I don't need to remind you boys that this school has a very low tolerance for fighting," the Principal continued. "If either of you get into another fight again, I will be forced to take extreme measures. For now, however, you're free to go. But no more fighting. I can tell that you're both too smart for any of that foul nonsense."

With that, Jack and Aster grabbed their book bags and felt the office. The bell rang as they entered the main lobby and students began heading towards the seventh and final period of the day.

"Well, I better get to Art before Mrs. Hershey begins to worry," Jack said almost shyly. Part of him still couldn't believe that Aster _was his boyfriend officially_!

"I betta get to class myself. I'll text you after the Art Club meeting today, okay?" Aster asked, a small smile on his face and his green eyes twinkling.

"Sounds good to me," Jack replied, grinning up at him. Aster bent and pressed a soft, gentle kiss to his lips.

"See ya later, Frostbite."

"Mr. Bunnymund. Mr. Frost. I suggest you get to class before the bell rings," Mr. Zinn's voice interrupted them. Jack rolled his eyes but still smiled up at him.

"See you later, Aster." Before they could get yelled at again, Jack turned and began his trek to Art 101, a blush on his cheeks and a smile on his face.


	11. In Which Aster Meets North

A/N: I just wanted to say, before the chapter, thank you all for reading my story and, if you reviewed, for also reviewing it. It means a lot to me guys and I appreciate it greatly. So, here's the new chapter. R&R. Enjoy!

**Chapter Eleven**

**In Which Aster Meets North (Or the Awkward Dinner)**

It had been a week since Aster's fight with Pitch. Jack served his after school detention, managing to get all of his homework done as well as starting the last volume of the _Cirque du Freak_ series by Darren Shan (he had already read them all, but he hadn't been able to get anything new that piqued his interest). Aster got through his two in-service days and managed not to miss too much stuff in class. Pitch got five days out of school suspension, or, at least, that was the rumor that was going around; Jack wasn't too sure and there was no way in hell he was going to ask Principal Manny about that ( like he needed more detention)

His dad wasn't' exactly a happy camper when Aster dropped Jack off at his house after his detention. However, North had been more concerned about him than angry and that made his hovering and questioning bearable. After Jack had finished telling his dad a brief summary of what happened (because what kid doesn't want to admit to their parent or parents that two guys were fighting over him in, of all places, a boys' bathroom?) he had to physically stop his dad from charging out of the door with his two very mighty, very pointy Russian swords in his hands. Forcing himself to stand between the front door and his dad, who was a very angry Russian with swords, almost made him pee himself.

Luckily, Jack had more self control than that.

After he had somehow managed to calm his dad down enough that he stopped swearing in Russian and put his swords away, Jack explained everything again. He explained how Pitch had dragged him into the bathroom and kissed him (which made Dad's eye twitch dangerously), how Aster came in and beat the shit out of Pitch (which wasn't exactly true and he said 'crap' instead of 'shit' because his dad didn't like it when he swore), and ended with how Jack got after school detention and Aster two days in-school suspension. There was a long, silent pause after he finished and Jack wasn't sure if his dad was going to try another attempt at his murderous rampage or not. What he did do was totally and completely unexpected and Jack's jaw literally dropped open unattractively.

"So….this Aster…he is your boyfriend, no?" his dad had asked him.

"U-uh… Yeah…Yeah he is. Officially now," Jack had told, his cheeks tinted a soft pink and a small, happy smile on his face. North studied him for a moment before he nodded to himself.

"Den it is settled. Invite him over for dinner. I want to meet dis Aster and see him for myself," he had said before he stood up and made his way into the kitchen.

And now, it was the night of the dinner and Jack was both excited and nervous. He was excited because he'd be with Aster. Aside from class and two days of after school art tutoring (Jack could now draw a stick figure), he hadn't seen the taller teen much. The Art Club was getting ready for Winter Fest, which was apparently like May Day only during the fall semester, and Aster had a lot of projects that were in the show. So did Jamie and Sandy and all of them were staying after school to finish putting the working touches on their pieces. But he was also nervous because he wasn't sure how his dad and Aster would take to each other.

Okay, yes, his dad knew all about Jack being gay, but he had never had an actual boyfriend to bring home. Heck, he hadn't ever brought any friends home! And while North was totally cool with him being gay, he was also the typical overprotective parent. When Tommy Ranger had tried to get in his pants and had humiliated him at school, his dad wanted blood. Had Jack not insisted that they move, he would have gotten it too. But, as he had told his dad, he'd rather not be parentless again. That was the only reason his dad let Tommy Ranger live and moved them out of the state.

So, it made perfect sense that his dad would want to meet Aster and determine if he was good enough for Jack (aka size him up and/or threaten him). That being said, it was hella awkward and that was even before Aster showed up.

When Jack invited him over to dinner, Aster had been surprised, but pleased. After all, he was not only Jack's first official boyfriend but he was the first guy to come over to his house and meet his dad. The worried and concerned look appeared after Jack told him that his dad had swords and that he knew how to use them so he really shouldn't be worried if he saw them in the living room when he arrived. He also told Aster that his dad was going to see what he was worth and that all the grey-blue haired teen had to do was be himself. Aster merely laughed nervously before he gulped. Jack felt bad for him and bumped shoulders with him, all the while saying that his dad was just overprotective because of a lot of things. Thankfully, Aster didn't ask him to elaborate; he wasn't sure if he was ready to tell Aster about Tommy or any of his past dates so soon, especially after what happened with Pitch.

He sat on the couch and waited for Aster to arrive. Dinner was at six and Dad had been in the kitchen since he got home. Jack had peeked into the kitchen when his dad wasn't looking and saw that he was making shashlyk and had all of the ingredients out to make pumpkin oladi. Seeing and smelling the shish kebobs and knowing that his dad planned on making those delicious Russian pancakes made Jack's mouth water. Aster was totally in for a treat tonight, if he managed to get through the awkward staring contest that was bound to ensue.

A few minutes before six, someone knocked on the front door. Jack all but shot straight up off the couch and made his way over to the door. Opening it, he beamed at his boyfriend, who gave him a nervous smile in return. He looked Aster over and his smile widened. The taller teen looked amazing in his _Walking Dead_ t-shirt, the one with Michonne on it, and black jeans that made him look dressed up yet comfortable. With his tan coat on and his Converse, he looked ready to face the world. But he didn't look as though he was ready to face Jack's dad. It was sweet and more than kinda cute and it had Jack grinning like a total moron as he stepped into Aster's arms and hugged him.

"Don't worry. You'll be fine," Jack said.

"Are his swords in the living room or the kitchen?" Aster asked as he hugged Jack as though his life depended on it.

"He has three sets of Russian swords. One is in the living room, the others' in the kitchen, and the third is in his bedroom," he said. That only made Aster hug him tighter.

"He has three?!" Aster asked, his voice cracking in a high pitched manner. Jack nodded.

"Yep. He sure does. But don't worry. If it gets to that point, I know how to use 'em. I'll keep you safe." Jack pulled away and grinned impishly up at his boyfriend.

"Gee, thanks, Frostbite. That makes m' feel so much betta," Aster said, trying to nonchalantly roll his eyes. It didn't work too well since he was nervous and sort of pale, but Jack didn't point that out.

"Come on in. Dinner is almost ready," Jack told him as he ushered Aster inside before closing the door. Delicious smells had drifted from the kitchen and made the house smell super good and amazing.

"Somethin' smells good," Aster said and he seemed to relax a little bit.

"Dad made shashlyk."

"Shashlyk? Wha' the heck is that?" Aster asked him, his countenance full of confusion and uncertainty. Jack smiled up at him and rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet.

"Lamb shish kebobs that are seasoned with onions, garlic cloves, parsley and a bunch of other stuff. It's really, really good. Trust me," Jack explained to him.

"If ya say so," Aster mumbled softly, still looking unsure.

"I do. And best of all, Dad's gonna make pumpkin oladi afterwards," Jack said, his mouth practically watering.

"What's that exactly?" Aster asked him again.

"Russian pancakes. They are to die for. I fucking love them! Dad makes the best," Jack gushed like a pregnant chick with food cravings.

"I 'appreciate compliment, but no swearing, Jack," came his dad's voice. Jack and Aster both jumped and Jack turned and looked up at his dad.

"Sorry, Dad. I'll try to keep that under control," he said and then beamed up at him. Grabbing hold of Aster's coat sleeve, Jack tugged him to his side.

"Dad, this is Aster. Aster, this is my dad, North," Jack introduced them. He watched, feeling kind of nervous despite himself as his dad and his boyfriend one upped each other. Much to his surprise, and something that would've impressed him if Jack had been in his dad's shoes, Aster made the first move.

"Aster Bunnymund, sir. It's a pleasure t' meet ya," Aster said, offering his hand to shake. His dad's eyes widened slightly and a big grin broke out over his face as he grasped Aster's smaller hand and shook it.

"Nice to meet you, Aster! So, you are the one who helped Jack out," North said. When Aster nodded, he laughed his booming laughter and added, "He talks about you a lot. It's nice to have a face to the name."

Jack groaned inwardly and felt his face flush. Great… Just what he needed. It seemed that not only was his dad typically overprotective, but he also lived to embarrass his kid. Typical. But Aster merely shot Jack a smile and winked at him, which North caught. Was it just Jack or did his dad squeeze Aster's hand too tightly? The taller teen winced, but he just laughed it off, sounding slightly nervous before they released each other's hands.

"T-thanks, I think," Aster replied.

"Now that you are here, let's eat! Shashlyk is good, but not so much when cold. Come! Into the kitchen, both of you," North said as he made shooing motions to the two teens. They entered the kitchen and sat down at the table, Aster sitting across from Jack, leaving North his chair at the head of the table.

"I hope you enjoy, Aster. Tis very good," North said before they began to eat.

And they did eat. In complete silence. In complete, awkward as all hell, silence. Jack kept looking from his dad to Aster to his plate and then back up again. Aster mostly kept his gaze to his plate, but he would look up and meet Jack's blue eyes every so often. North kept his eyes on Aster the entire time, even as he ate, and eventually, Aster's gaze connected with his. And thus the staring match begun. A minute passed. Then two. And then five. All the while, Jack ate his shashlyk and sipped at his glass of water. No one said anything for what felt like forever.

Oh yeah; it was definitely awkward.

"How old are you, Aster?" North suddenly asked.

"Seventeen, soon to be eighteen," Aster answered. The sounds of chewing and the ticking of the kitchen clock were the only noises in the room as they talked.

"Do you play any sports?"

"I used to play soccer, but I stopped."

"Were you any good?" Jack's dad asked, a black eye brow arching as if daring Aster to be sarcastic or snarky.

"Th' best," Aster answered simply.

"Are you a virgin?"

"Okay, this is awkward," Jack said, interrupting their game of questions before it got any worse, and by worse he meant more awkward and embarrassing.

"Yes, I am," his boyfriend responded, a hint of defiance in his voice.

"How many people have you dated?" North asked.

"Two; Amy Turner in third grade and Kosmotis Pitchiner about a year or so back. Not that the last one really counts or anythin'," Aster said, his green eyes narrowing slightly. That only caused Jack's dad's eyes to narrow.

"The boy you beat up?" he asked.

"He was a friend and I didn't want t' hurt his feelings, okay?" Aster almost growled.

"Is fine. Just curious," Jack's dad said, never taking his eyes off Aster. "Jack tells me you are in Art Club."

"Yeah, I am, and I'm th' best artist in the school," Aster retorted. At that point, they were both neglecting their shashlyk and Jack was sliding down in his chair, hoping and praying that he would just disappear.

"Do you watch _Glee?_" Jack sunk even lower. Why, oh why, did his dad decide to pull out his bag-of-random-questions trick?

"Wha?" Aster asked, unsure of how to respond and a little bit defensive.

"_The Golden Girls? Buffy de Vampire Slayer? Supernatural?"_ North asked, standing up. Aster stood up too and looked half scared and half determined.

"_Buffy_ not so much, but _The Golden Girls_ and _Supernatural_ are good shows. I also like _Game of Thrones_, playing _Clue_ and _Pokemon_ on my DS, and coffee. Anythin' else ya wanna know, mate?" Aster asked. Putting his knuckles on the table, North stared long and hard into Aster's face. Jack just sat there in total shock, not knowing if he should say anything or what to say even if he did.

"Just one."

"An' what's that?" Aster asked.

"Would you beat dis Pitch up again if he touched my son?" North asked. Jack was taken aback by the question. It was more than kind of random and he honestly didn't know where his dad was going with all of the questions.

"Yes, I would, even if it got me expelled," Aster replied automatically. Jack's dad stared at his boyfriend for a few seconds longer before he nodded and smirked slightly.

"Good. Finish your shashlyk. I have oladi to make," and with that, his dad sat down and started eating again as if asking random questions was normal.

Jack sat there with his mouth hanging open unattractively like a fish and not knowing what the hell just happened.

A/N: I have little to no knowledge of Russian culture or food other than what I've Googled, which has so far only been food. I don't mean to offend anyone or anything. I just wanted to make that clear.


	12. In Which Jack (Kinda) Makes a Friend

A/N: There's going to be some swearing in this note, so you've been warned. Well. Well, Well, Well. I had a big, long rant planned for you, Well, but you're not worth my time or my readers' time, so instead, I'll just say FUCK YOU. How do you like them apples? ANYWAY, moving on from idiots and things, I just want to thank all of you who have been keeping up with this story and giving me feedback that's actually helpful. I love you, guys. R&R. Enjoy!

**Chapter Twelve**

**In Which Jack (Kinda) Makes a Friend**

Jack didn't want to be in the library after school had let out. He really, _really_ didn't. Jamie, Aster, Tooth, and Sandy were at the movies and had invited him to come along. And he had almost said yes. But he didn't. Instead, he had told Pitch a few days prior that he'd stay after school one day so that they could work on their Power Point for Our Near Neighbor and, unfortunately, Jack usually tended to keep his promises.

The librarian was still there and they were on school property, which were the only two reasons Jack had agreed to it. More than anything, he wanted to get this project over and done with. Had he been paired with someone else, he probably wouldn't have minded it; actually, he probably would've enjoyed learning about ancient cities and all that jazz. Pitch, however, made things hard. Much to Jack's surprise, he barely said anything to anyone anymore; he only spoke to the shorter teen when it was absolutely necessary. So, actually, things hadn't been as bad as they were before, but they were still awkward and Jack still didn't like him.

They sat at one of the computer desks in the library. Jack was working on the Power Point, typing in the notes on each slide, and everything was quiet. Aside from the sounds of his typing, shuffling through the note cards, and the librarian doing whatever she had to do, it was silent. The few kids that were there – and there was only a handful of them – had kept to themselves from the beginning and barely made a peep. To the chair beside him, Pitch stared blankly at something past the computer screen. He had stopped making suggestions and telling Jack what to keep or what to throw away ten minutes ago. It was intense and awkward as all hell and Jack couldn't wait until he finished the damn Power Point and saved it.

Suddenly, the theme song to _Star Wars_ chimed loudly throughout the library. Every kid turned in their direction and the librarian frowned at them. Jack looked over and saw Pitch retrieving his cell phone from his pocket, looking sheepish and embarrassed.

"Sorry. Sorry…" Pitch said, turning the sound off before he started typing on his screen.

Jack turned back to the computer and finished up the slide he had been working on before moving onto the next one. A few seconds passed and Pitch returned his phone to his pocket. They sat in an uncomfortable silence for a minute or two before Jack's mouth blabbed out a question on its own.

"So, you like _Star Wars_?" He could've smacked himself.

Why the hell had he asked Pitch, of all people, a question like that?! What the heck was wrong with him? This was Pitch, the jackass who had screwed Aster over just because he was jealous. Being Aster's current boyfriend, Jack didn't think he ought to be asking him questions about his likes and dislikes. They weren't friends and they were never going to be friends. And yet, his dumbass had to ask that damn question. He was an idiot.

"Yeah, it's my favorite movie franchise," Pitch told him, sounding and looking just as surprised as Jack felt by asking the question in the first place.

"It's pretty good. I've always preferred _Star Trek_ though, but that's just me," Jack told him, his mouth running faster than his brain could. He really wanted to punch himself now.

"_Star Trek_ is good and I like it, but _Star Wars_ was what I grew up on as a kid. My dad's influence, I suppose," Pitch said.

"_Star Trek_ is more futuristic and…stuff though," Jack said, typing away. Great, his mouth had diarrhea. But even he noticed that some of the tension was starting to evaporate, which was weird since Pitch was still a creeper and a dick.

"So is _Star Wars_. But _Star Wars_ I better because it's about overcoming oppression and vanquishing evil," Pitch countered. "It's about more than traveling in a ship and seeing new worlds."

"Huh. I never thought of it like that…" Jack mumbled. He was almost done with the slide, and then he'd have one more before he could wrap up the Works Cited slide. And then that would be it. Totally worth more than an hour spent after school in the library with Pitch.

"So, is that also why you like _The X-Men_?" Jack asked him. Why couldn't he just let things go? He needed to think more before he let his mouth spew out words and questions. He wasn't supposed to be having an actual, real conversation with Pitch.

But he was.

"Yes, actually, I do. Although more so because of the mutant powers and the action than anything else. That, and Jean Grey is hot," Pitch said. Jack rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"I think Rogue is prettier than her. Besides, aren't you gay?" he asked. The taller teen merely snorted.

"Broaden your horizons, Jack. I'm allowed to find women attractive and sexy too. I may not date them, but I can still appreciate their beauty and sexuality," Pitch retorted. Now it was Jack who felt a little sheepish.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Freedom of sexual orientation and attraction. It's not like I haven't heard that one before," Jack said. "It's not like us gays haven't been fighting for freedom for, like, ever now."

"Don't forget that LGBT has bisexuals listed amongst the ranks after all."

"I didn't know you dated girls, too," Jack mentioned. Honestly, the conversation between him and Pitch shouldn't have been so easy and not awkward. It was more than kind of weird and confusing.

"My dating history isn't limited to just Aster. I had to find out if I was gay or not somehow," Pitch said.

"True."

Jack finished up the slide and moved onto the next one. Just this last one and then the Works Cited page and they'd be done. They already had the pictures that they needed, so he didn't have to worry about that. Next week, they'd be presenting their Power Points and then, not too long after that, they'd be on Christmas break. When they returned, they'd wrap up their classes before the semester turned over, which meant that Jack would have new classes. He was both excited and anxious about that, but he pushed that out of his mind. Right now, he needed to focus on finishing the Power Point and try to act as though he wasn't getting along with Pitch.

"I'm sorry," Pitch randomly blurted out. Jack ceased typing and turned to him, his blue eyes widened with surprise.

"Sorry? Sorry for what? For being a creeper or for all of that shit you pulled in the bathroom?" Jack asked, feeling mad and annoyed all of a sudden. He figured he had more than a right to be.

"For everything. I…" Pitch shifted in his seat. He sighed heavily. "You were right. I was being an asshole and I went too far with Aster. I was suspended for a week, you know."

"There was a rumor going around…" Jack said.

"It was true. When my parents found out, they were…well, royally pissed. They tore me a new one and I deserved it. But they also gave me a lot to think about," Pitch told him.

"Like how you were being a creeper and making an ass out of yourself because Aster wanted to be your friend instead of your boyfriend?" Jack asked. Part of him knew that he was being a bit mean at bringing that up, but another part of him didn't really care.

"Yes. I won't make excuses and I won't explain myself, but I've got a lot of shit to make up for," the black haired teen confessed. Jack almost snorted, but he didn't. He didn't want to be an ass, but he didn't want to believe Pitch just in case the other was just pulling his leg.

"How do I know you're not just lying to me?" Jack asked, finishing the final slide and turning to the Works Cited page. After a few seconds, Pitch answered him.

"We're similar, Jack. We've both been outcasts and we've both been labeled freaks," when Jack gave him a slightly startled look, Pitch explained, "People talk. Rumors go around. Just because you have friends doesn't mean you're untouchable to our peers. With that white hair of yours, is it really hard to believe that people wouldn't talk?"

Jack sighed heavily and shrugged, shaking his head back and forth before he started copying and pasting their references from Easy Bib. Thank God for Easy Bib. "Everyone always talks about my hair." Jack shot Pitch a half hearted glare before he added, "Even you."

"Could you honestly blame me? At least I didn't talk behind your back or shun you," Pitch said.

"Yeah, yeah…" Jack finished up the Works Cited before saving it. "There. All done."

He logged out and grabbed his book bag. Both him and Pitch stood up and made their way to the library doors. Jack opened a door and stepped out into the lobby. Pitch followed after him. Before he had even taken more than three steps, Jack's phone went off. Taking it out of his pocket, he unlocked the screen and smiled. Aster texted him. The movie was almost over and he wanted to know if Jack wanted to join them at Chili's for dinner. He didn't need to be asked twice; he was all for Chili's any day of the week. So, he sent a quick reply before he started towards the exit again. Before they walked outside, Jack turned to Pitch and cleared his throat.

"So, uh, thanks…I think," he said.

"As long as your research doesn't get me a B+, we're good," Pitch told him. At that, Jack rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, jerk off. Our research paper got an A, so why wouldn't our Power Point?" he asked the taller teen.

"Are you good at presenting in front of the class?" Pitch asked him. Just thinking about standing up in front of his classmates with his white hair and Pitch has his partner made Jack's stomach clench. Sure, he was used to people talking, but as he said before, it got old real fast.

"Well…" he trailed off. Pitch sighed dramatically and shook his head.

"Just read off the slides then, Frost. I can handle the elaboration," Pitch said.

"That works, I guess," Jack agreed. "Well, gotta go. Dad's waiting for me in the car and I have placed to be."

"Me too. I'll catch you later," Pitch said before he walked out of the school. Jack waited a few seconds before leaving himself.

His dad was waiting in the car patiently, playing who knows what on his phone. It made Jack smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. He was still really confused about what the hell just happened in the library between Pitch and himself. They had actually had a decent conversation and it hadn't been all that horrible. But still, Pitch was a creeper and Jack wasn't sure if he could trust him or not. The funny thing was that part of him did kinda trust Pitch. Pitch had been right when he said that they were similar what with both of them being labeled outcasts and freaks and that was why he kind of trusted him, if that made any sense.

It didn't make up for all of the shit Pitch put both Jack and Aster through, but it did make him seem like less of a creeper. And even though they were different, they had still agreed on a few things and had a few things in common. As Jack slid into the passenger's seat, he forced himself to think of other things aside from Pitch and how semi-normal he had seemed when he talked about movies (although he was still kind of creepy). Instead, he focused on his biography research paper that was due and on Chemistry homework and on how delicious dinner at Chili's was going to be.


	13. In Which Jack and Aster Talk About Pitch

A/N: I know it's taken long to update, but things have been hellish. I have been trying though, does that count? R&R Enjoy!

**Chapter Thirteen**

**In Which Jack and Aster Talk About Pitch**

"Don't let him fool ya, Jack," Aster told him as they sat on the couch, watching TV.

It was Saturday and they were at Aster's house, just hanging out and having a good time. Jack had just finished telling Aster about the kind of, sort of conversation he had had with Pitch just a couple of days before. Yes, he had told Aster, Jamie, Tooth and Sandy about having to work with Pitch right after school (and by told, he meant complained) but he hadn't told them all of it. And okay, he had told them that Pitch had managed to be not so creepy and had even sounded and acted semi-normal.

Tooth had told him that Pitch could of course look and act normal; he had had years of practice. But she had also told Jack that he should stay on guard; after all, Pitch was known for being a pervert as well as a creeper. Sandy gave Jack a sympathetic look and a thumbs up, which Jack interpreted as encouragement for looking on the bright side. Looking too much on the bright side was what Jamie had accused him of doing.

"Like, seriously, Jack," Jamie had told him, "I know that you're a nice guy and that you tend to have a positive outlook on, like, everything, but seriously. Pitch is a jerk and so not worth your time."

"Ya sound like you're kinda surprised about Pitch bein' normal and all," Aster had said, giving Jack a weary look that was tinted with confusion and a small amount of hurt. Seeing it had made Jack feel bad, but what was he supposed to do? He could lie, but he didn't want to, not to Aster or any of his friends, all of whom were looking at both of them with slightly concerned expressions on their faces.

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess I am. It's just…I thought he'd be creep and weird twenty-four seven. But in the library he kind of sounded like a normal kid," Jack had told them.

"Nothing about Pitch is normal, Jack," Tooth had said. Sandy merely shrugged at that and went back to his entrée.

"I know that…." Jack had said before he turned the conversation over to his friends. They talked about Pitch and his creepiness for a spell before they moved on to other things.

And now, Aster knew exactly what he and Pitch had talked about. He had also told his boyfriend, who was, thankfully and by some grace of God, still cuddling with him, that he had tried to stop the babble before it got worse and that his mouth just wouldn't cooperate with his brain at all. Aster had been the one who wanted to know what they had talked about and Jack told him everything. He told him about how Pitch's cell going off was what started it and that his blabber mouth got the best of him. After he was done, Aster had thought about it for a moment before he spoke.

"I'm not going to let him fool me," Jack said. "But he made a point."

"An' what point is that, Jack? That he can act normal?" Aster countered. "That he can sound like a normal guy?"

"No," Jack said.

"Then what? What point did Pitch make that got yer head thinkin' too much?" Aster asked him, finally pulling apart and looking down at the shorter teen. Jack stared up at him with his bright blue eyes and answered honestly.

"He's a freak. Just like me," Jack said simply because it was true, even if he wished he wasn't and that people would give him a God damn break.

But that didn't change the truth of it. Jack was a freak and he always had been. His unnaturally white hair, his all too bright blue eyes, his lower than normal body temperature, and his incredibly pale skin made him a walking, talking freak show to just about every single person in the U.S. Just like Jack, Pitch was a freak. With his weird yellow eyes and his not so average teenage way of thinking, Pitch had been labeled a freak forever, just like Jack. As much as Jack hated to admit it, and he really did hate to admit it, they were alike.

Granted, Jack didn't know what Pitch went through; all he knew was what his friends, Aster, and Pitch himself had told him. He didn't get the entire history lesson on how Pitch became the school freak and, honestly, Jack didn't want it since he already had a pretty good guess as to why. But there was a sort of…connection there, one that he didn't really know how to explain, even inside his own head. Both of them were freaks and only freaks understood each other. Yes, Aster had gone through a lot of bullshit because of Pitch being a jerk, but he wasn't a freak. Before he had been found out, Aster had been on the soccer team; he had had friends and hobbies and was, for the most part, a popular kid. Definitely not freak material.

And yet Jack also knew that since Pitch had told the entire school that Aster was gay, the blue-grey haired teen had gone through living hell. From Jamie had told Jack, all of his old friends had turned their backs on him and only insulted and picked on Aster whenever they spoke to him. It had affected him and for that, Pitch could never be forgiven. So Jack knew that Aster understood what it felt like to be ostracized by his peers and rejected by, basically, the whole school. That was why he felt mostly comfortable telling his boyfriend, his totally hot/cute/normal boyfriend about what he and Pitch had talked about. And that was also why Jack believed Aster would understand, at least a little.

"You're not a freak, Jack. You're just unique and different," Aster said, his face and voice softening and his hand reaching out to grasp Jack's.

"I have white hair," Jack retorted.

"Yeah, but that doesn't make you a freak," the taller teen said, his green eyes kind and holding the understanding that Jack knew they would. After all, that was one of the reasons why Jack liked him so much. To Aster, and the rest of his friends, Jack was normal.

"To you it doesn't, but to everyone else it does," Jack said softly. Automatically, Aster scooted closer and pulled Jack aside his side.

"Hey, I thought things like that didn' bother ya, Frostbite," Aster said softly. Jack relaxed into him and sighed.

"I know I can't change how I am or what I look like, but that doesn't mean that being the freak doesn't get old. Fast," he explained as best he could. He took a deep breath before he looked up into the familiar, warm green eyes of his boyfriend.

"I know that you've been picked out and basically shunned by your friends since the whole…well, mess with Pitch. And I know Pitch can be the biggest douche bag alive and I'm not trying to defend him or anything, but he knows what it's like to be a freak his entire life," Jack told him.

"That's true. Pitch was always made fun of when we were younger," Aster admitted.

"Oh yeah. You did say that you two used to be friends and that the fact that you saw him just as friend is why things went south for you guy." Jack remembered Aster telling him how everyone found out about Aster being gay. How could he forget that?

"Yep. Pitch was always the odd guy out, even as a little kid. He was always too skinny, too small, and then he was too tall and too smart… And he started gettin' cocky once we got to ninth grade," Aster told him, sounding a bit sad.

"You sound like you miss him," Jack said. And Aster did sound like he missed Pitch. After all, the two of them had been friends for a long time before Pitch went and messed things up. They hadn't been close for a while now, but that didn't mean that the old days disappeared.

"Y'know, there are some days when I really do miss him," Aster told him, a small, sad smile crossing his countenance. "He may have always been the odd one out, but he was my friend. And I was too honest to lie to him about my feelings." The small smile was gone and replaced by an expression that made Aster look way older than seventeen.

"It's not your fault that Pitch couldn't handle just being friends." Jack reached up and ran a hand through Aster's blue-grey hair, letting the silken strands fall through his fingers.

"I know that, but I also know how he is…or was. Just like I know that things could be better between us."

"Look, I know it's hard for you, what with Pitch being, well, himself and us being, well, together and stuff, but I know that you understand," Jack said.

"I do, but I'm also afraid that somethin's gonna happen," Aster spoke softly, his eyes troubled and worried.

"Like what?" Jack asked him.

"Like us breakin' up and you and him gettin' together," Aster said, a slight blush creep across his face.

"Hey, that's not gonna happen. I already told you that Pitch is so not my type and that that'll never happen. Ever. Period. The end," Jack stated firmly.

"I know, I know. You told me that. And yeah, you're right. I do understand. It's hard for me not to, considerin' that he used to be my friend and all. I may not have gone through the shit he went through all my life, but I saw what went on," Aster told him.

"But…?" Jack probed him. The way Aster spoke made the smaller teen think that there was something else he had wanted to say. He didn't know what it was, but he wanted to know, he wanted to understand where his boyfriend was coming from.

"But who I was and who Pitch was before things went to hell… We're not the same people we used to be. We're different and I can't say that I know Pitch very well anymore," Aster answered him, the hesitance he felt reflected clearly in his voice. "I don't know if Pitch is stringing you along or if he's bein' honest and truthful."

Jack thought about Aster's words. They made perfect sense; they really did. After all that Pitch had said and done, Jack shouldn't want to talk to him, to understand, or to feel even a little but sorry for him. And yes, Aster had a point. Who Pitch was before they stopped being friends wasn't the same Pitch that they saw almost every single day of the week (the only exceptions being, of course, the weekend). But that didn't stop him from thinking that the conversation he shared with Pitch in the library hadn't been all that bad. Actually, it had given him insight into who Pitch was, or so he thought, or so he liked to believe. Part of him couldn't help but think that Pitch really hadn't changed all that much.

Nonetheless, Aster still made a valid point. Pitch probably wasn't the same person that Aster had been friends with. Jack didn't know the guy well enough to say if he had been telling the truth in the library or not. Maybe Pitch was lying to Jack; then again, maybe he wasn't. Honestly, Jack didn't know nor could he tell.

"Okay, I get that. I really do. So how about this: I watch what I say and do around Pitch, just in case he is just trying to string me along and make me feel safe and secure before he, I dunno, defiles me or something," Jack said.

"Y'know, you sayin' 'defile' so off handedly kinda worries me, Frostbite," Aster said, a small grin on his face.

"You know me; I'm the King of Cool," Jack said, grinning widely as his boyfriend. "Anyway, if Pitch doesn't try to do anything creepy like, then maybe we can think that he is kind of trying to be normal and average and not Creepy-Guy like. Sound fair?"

Aster thought for a minute before he answered. "I suppose. I still don't like it to be honest, but I trust you. And I know that if things get outta hand, you'll let me know."

"I think I can manage that," Jack said, pressing a soft kiss on Aster's lips before pulling away. "But…" he trailed off.

"But what?" Aster asked, his green eyes slightly wide with curiosity mixed with caution.

"Maybe you should try talking to him too," Jack said gently.

"Uh, no. I don' think so. I still remember what he pulled and I still haven't forgiven him for that. Not really," Aster said, frowning down at the white haired teen.

"I know and I get that it's a lot to ask, but trust me on this one, okay? I got a…a feeling about this," Jack said.

"A feelin'?" Aster asked, skeptical.

"Yes, a feeling," Jack stated more confidently than he felt.

He knew that he could be making a huge mistake on this and that he was asking an awful lot of boyfriend, but part of him didn't think there was more to Pitch than just the creepy dick that everyone else saw. Maybe his brain was over thinking this; it certainly wouldn't be the first time. Honestly, even he didn't know what the hell he was doing or saying, not really. But he couldn't stop thinking that Pitch really wasn't that much of a creeper. All he knew for sure was that things could work out for the best or for the worst. Knowing his luck, it'd probably be for the worst.


	14. In Which Jack Goes to an Art Show

A/N: Well, I'm glad that you guys liked the last chapter. I hope you like this one just as much. R&R. Enjoy!

**Chapter Fourteen**

**In Which Jack Goes to an Art Show (Sort of)**

"Okay, so...this one is yours?" Jack asked Jamie as they walked around the auditorium lobby.

Currently, all of the art classes were show casing the students' completed works so far. They were all clustered depending on which class the student was in; all of the Art One works were together; all of the Art Two; and so on and so forth. The sand art and sculptures were on tables while a few of the larger 3D Art Class pieces took up space on the floor. Most of the 3D pieces were pretty cool, like the one that was made entirely of plastic soda bottles and wire that formed a life-sized model of the artist, but a few were kind of freaky and weird, like the all too realistic looking eyeball. Some of the paintings were very nice and beautiful, with unique color schemes and patterns. A lot of the Art One projects sucked ass and Jack knew that most of the students had signed up for the class for an 'easy A'. Morons.

"Yep, that's mine!" Jamie said proudly. They both looked up at Jamie's 3D Art work. It was a circle of all the different colored Vitamin Water bottles. It was simple, and that was why Jack was unsure if it was actually Jamie's or not, but it was bad ass and totally freaking awesome.

"I like it! It's simple, but colorful, and who in their right mind doesn't like at least one flavor of Vitamin Water?" Jack said, beaming at his best friend. Jamie practically squirmed with pleasure and his face glowed with happiness.

"I know, right?! I'm so glad you like it. I wasn't sure if anyone would because it really isn't that creative and all," Jamie admitted, looking like a little boy on Christmas Day.

"But how would think to use Vitamin Water bottles of all things? If that's not creative, then I dunno what is," Jack told him, his blue eyes bright and excited.

"Hey! Let's go check out Aster's stuff. I know he submitted a lot of stuff," Jamie said, pulling Jack over to the Art Three section of the lobby.

The students taking Art Three had their own big, tall, black poster boards that they tacked and hung their art projects on. They stood in the middle of the lobby and there were about four or five of them, all with three sides and all that featured a different artist. Aster's was the one closest to the cafeteria doors and that was the one that Jamie and Jack headed over to. Other teens were walking around, looking at the works of art and talking amongst themselves, some of them laughing and mocking the pieces while others were in awe. Most of the teachers stood off to the side and talked to one another while the students looked around the displays.

Jack and Jamie had arrived in the lobby with their Chemistry teacher. Thanks to the art show that the art teachers, Mrs. Hershey, Ms. Mueller, and Mr. Drier, had set up, all of the classes were allowed to wander around and look at the art work during forth period. A bunch of classes were grouped together to visit the galleries at specified time; right now, it was Jack and Jamie's time.

They came to a halt in front of Aster's wall of art and Jack gasped at what he saw. Yes, he had known before hand, way before hand, that his boyfriend was the best artist in the school. Whenever he was bored in class, he would doodle little pictures in his note book. Jack watched him do it all of the time in Algebra Two. But his doodles were nothing compared to the paintings Aster had done for the show.

The one at the top was of a bridge with a red roof and autumn colored trees. It was so detailed and serene that Jack felt as though he had actually been there at some point in his life. The two below that one were different: one was of a cluster of planets and stars with shades of dark blues and purples and greens while the other was of fruit (what was it with all of the projects full of fruit anyway? Jack would never understand it). There were eight paintings in all on the poster board, and as Jack's eyes wandered down, his heart started beating fast and his breath caught in his throat.

Aster had painted Jack's profile; it looked almost as though he were looking into a mirror. Except that he knew he wasn't because, obviously, there wasn't a mirror there. And the him in the painting was facing sideways, as though he were looking at something interesting to the right. The one beside it was one of Jack's blue eyes and there were snowflakes, each a different pattern, in his pupil. His boyfriend had managed to successfully capture how blue Jack's eyes were. Thinking about how much time and detail Aster put into the paintings made Jack's cheeks turn red, but he smiled despite himself. Another one was of the top of Jack's head from his eyes up that had his white hair morphing into a really snowy blizzard. That one had to be Jack's favorite because he loved snow and it was just so cool that Aster had done something so unique and breathtaking.

The other two weren't of Jack, but they were still amazing. One was of a curious looking rabbit amidst a field of flowers giving bloom to brightly painted colored Easter eggs. Rolling his eyes, Jack laughed and grinned at the painting. It was so like Aster, whose favorite holiday was Easter, to do something like that. Aster had painted a self portrait of himself for the last one, but in shades of various greens and while his expression was one composed of horror. Although it wasn't meant to be funny, Jack couldn't help but laugh.

"Hey, Jamie," he said, elbowing his best friend. "Look." Jack pointed to Aster's portrait. Jamie saw it and they shared a look before they both started laughing that complete and totally idiots.

"Oh my God! That's…that's…," Jamie started to say, but he stopped mid way because he was laughing too hard.

"I know!" Jack said, nodding and laughing. A few of the other kids sent curious looks their way, but Jack and Jamie paid them no mind. They were too busy laughing.

"Oh man, my sides are starting to hurt," Jamie said as he began to calm down. He wiped a few tears from his eyes and shared a grin with Jack, who was trying very hard to stop laughing. He managed to contain himself and only let out the occasional chuckle after another minute or two.

"Yeah, I know. Aside from the weird, nauseated expression of terror, it's pretty good. Actually, they're all pretty good," Jack said.

"I told ya that Aster was the best in the school. I think he's even going to go to college for art. But I'm not sure. He told me that way, way back, y'know?" Jamie told him.

"Now that you brought it up, I don't even know what he wants to go to college for," Jack admitted, feeling a bit guilty for never having asked his boyfriend about it before hand.

"Well, do you?" Jamie asked him, genuinely curious.

"Not really, no," Jack answered him with a shrug of his shoulders. "I always thought that I'd follow in my dad's footsteps and take over the family business. I mean, yeah, I'd have to go to college to take business classes and all that, but I never gave any real thought about it."

"What does your dad do, anyway? You've mentioned his business before, but you never said what exactly it was about," Jamie told him.

"He runs his own toy company. It's actually pretty awesome," Jack told him.

"Oh, wow! That's, like, so cool!" Jamie gushed, his eyes lighting up.

"Isn't it though?" Jack shared a smile with the brunette. "His company also published children's books. A few of the stories have cover art like this." He pointed to Aster's Easter painting.

"Maybe Aster will do illustrations for books and stuff," Jamie pondered out loud. "It's not like he doesn't have the talent for it."

"Oh, yes. Because having someone paint you after only dating them for a little while isn't creepy at all," came Pitch's voice from behind them.

Jack and Jamie both jumped and turned to see that the taller teen was standing behind them. His yellow eyes were all but boring holes into Aster's paintings of Jack, but when he felt their gazes on him, he turned his attention to them. For a second, a very brief second, Jack thought he saw anger in those eyes, but it was gone almost as soon as he had seen it. But Jack knew what he saw and it confused him. He figured that he should be used to being confused, but he wasn't and he sure as hell wasn't in the mood to let Pitch ruin what Aster had done.

"That's rich, coming from someone who's creepy themselves," Jack retorted, his blue eyes narrowed slightly.

"And yet, you didn't deny that it was creepy," Pitch shot back.

"Of course it's not creepy. It's sweet and totally romantic of Aster, especially considering that it must've taken him a long time to do those paintings," Jack responded.

"Whatever," Pitch grumbled before he turned and headed towards the hallway that would lead him past the vending machines outside of the cafeteria and towards the library and the school lobby.

Jack sighed inwardly. It seemed that with every step he took in regards to Pitch, he always took two steps back. He was frustrated by it and he hated the fact that Pitch wasn't making things any easier by being a stubborn jerk. Sending a conflicted look Jamie's way, Jack shook his head and began to follow after Pitch.

"I gotta go and see what's up with him," Jack told him.

"Why? He's a dick," Jamie said.

"Because we're presenting our project in Our Near Neighbor tomorrow and I'd rather it not be tense and awkward as hell," Jack replied.

It wasn't necessarily a lie – they were presenting their project tomorrow and he didn't want it to be any worse than it already was going to be – but it wasn't the entire truth either. He still hadn't told Jamie every detail about his sort of conversation with Pitch. Jack was going to though; he definitely was going to because he'd need someone to talk to who wasn't Aster because he needed someone to see how kind of pig headed both Aster and Pitch were. But when he was going to was…well, he hadn't figured that part out yet. All he knew was that he'd talk to Jamie and soon. He'd talked to Sandy or Tooth about it, but Sandy never said anything and Jack would have to constantly ask him yes or no questions to get anywhere and Tooth talked. A lot. Like, almost too much some times, and he didn't want that to happen. Not with something like this.

"But Aster's coming this way!" Jamie called after him. Jack turned and saw that, indeed, his boyfriend was walking over to Jamie and his artwork. Sending Aster a reassuring smile and wave, Jack turned to the brunette and mouthed _keep him busy_ before he turned and stalked after Pitch.

Jack caught up with him by the vending machines which were, for once, devoid of any students. He smacked Pitch's arm to get his attention and he glared up into the other's yellow eyes when he whirled around.

"What?!" Pitch snarled at him, obviously angry.

"You're pissed," Jack stated simply, folding his arms over his chest and quirking an eyebrow.

"So what?" Pitch asked, his eyes narrowed as he stared down at the white haired teen.

"Why?" Jack asked him.

"It's none of your business, Frost," Pitch said.

"Bullshit. It is my business because Aster is my boyfriend. Now spill," Jack demanded.

"And if I don't?" Pitch sneered at him.

"Two hits," Jack said. A slightly puzzled look crossed Pitch's face.

"Two hits?" he asked.

"Two hits. I hit you and you hit the floor. And don't think I haven't done it before. I've taken on guys bigger and fatter than you. Besides, we're kinda, sorta, not really friends, so who else are you gonna tell? Now spill," Jack demanded again.

Pitch sighed heavily and turned to look at the wall. "It's just… I wish someone would do that sort of thing for me."

"Do what?" Jack asked, uncrossing his arms and looking a bit puzzled himself.

"Paint me. Aster never did that, not for me anyway. And it would be nice if…if someone would do that for me at some point," Pitch admitted softly and reluctantly. Jack had to admit that he felt bad for the guy. He just looked so forlorn and sad…

"Well, maybe you'd be able to get a boyfriend if, oh, y'know, you stopped acting like a creepy weirdo," Jack said, trying to be helpful.

"Why thank you, Jack, but I've already thought of that," Pitch said sarcastically. Jack rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Stop being an ass. Seriously, if you want to find somebody to be with, then start being nicer and less of a creep. You're not unattractive; I'm sure you'd be able to get a date," Jack told him sincerely.

After a minute of not responding, Pitch turned to look at him. "You really believe that?" he asked, looking and sounding like a lost, little boy.

"Of course I do. But dude, you gotta stop with the creepiness. It doesn't help you," Jack said.

"Who knew that I'd be taking advice from a pipsqueak," Pitch barked out, humorless laughter tainting his words.

"This 'pipsqueak' can still kick your ass. Besides, I don't see anyone else standing here, offering you advice," Jack added.

"True…true… Perhaps…" Pitch said. He trailed off and shook his head before he turned and walked into the cafeteria.

Jack stared after him, but he didn't follow him inside. There was no way he'd do that. Rolling his eyes at how stupid this entire situation was, Jack turned and made his way back to the galleries in the auditorium lobby. Right now, he wanted to be with his boyfriend and his friends and that was exactly what he was going to do.


	15. In Which Everybody Hates Pitch

A/N: Thank you for all of the support, you guys! It really does mean a lot to me. I hope you continue liking the chapters. R&R. Enjoy!

**Chapter Fifteen**

**In Which Everybody Hates Pitch**

Jack was sitting at lunch with his friends, telling his friends about the Power Point he'd have to present with Pitch, when Pitch sat down at their table. The second he sat down, everyone stopped talking and gawked at him, even Jack. Pitch was just about to take a bite of his salad when he realized that everyone was staring at him.

"What? Haven't you morons ever seen lettuce before?" he asked before chomping down.

From his left, Jack felt Aster tense up. Sandy, who was sitting on Jack's right, eyed Pitch suspiciously, although he also looked uncertain as to what to do. Tooth was outright glaring at Pitch and Jamie squirmed, looking as though he wanted to say something but he didn't. Jack felt uncomfortable himself. Why the hell was Pitch doing sitting at their table? He never sat with them before, so why now?

And that was when Jack realized that the cafeteria had gotten really quiet. Looking around, he realized that everyone was staring at them. Shifting uncomfortable in his seat, Jack cleared his throat and spoke up.

"Pitch, what the hell are you doing?" he asked.

"Yeah. Why are you sitting here? It's not like we invited you," Tooth asked him, narrowing her eyes even more.

"It is kind of weird… You're not usually in the lunch room anyway," Jamie added.

"Leave. You're not welcome here," Aster growled at Pitch, his green eyes narrowed in a glare. Pitch only quirked an eyebrow.

"Is that any way to talk to a friend?" he asked before taking another bite of his salad.

"We're not friends anymore, Pitch," Aster told him in a harsher tone than Jack thought was needed. After all, he had talked to his boyfriend about maybe getting back on friendlier terms with his former best friend. He knew that it was asking a lot, but Aster had still agreed hadn't he?

"Perhaps, but Jack and I are friends. Aren't we, Jack?" Pitch asked.

Everyone at the table turned to look at him. Sandy was giving him a questioning look. Tooth looked annoyed and like she expected Jack to tell her that Pitch was full of shit. Aster's face softened slightly – after all, aside from Jamie, no one else knew about how he had actually gotten along with Pitch – but he also looked as though Jack was going to get Pitch out of there and away from them. Jamie stared at him with a look filled with caution. It wasn't directed at Jack exactly; it was more like his best friend was telling him to not do or say anything stupid because it would upset practically everyone at the table. In other words, Jamie was silently telling Jack to not be a dumbass.

"Yea, I…I guess we are. But you need to lose that whole…creepy vibe you've got goin' on. Otherwise I'm not going to admit to even knowing you," Jack answered him before shoveling peas into his mouth. And he hated peas. He really, really hated peas. But he wanted an excuse to not talk anymore.

But Jack was hoping that what he had said would kind of smooth things over. At the very least he knew that his friends would agree that Pitch needed to stop being a complete and total creeper. Okay, yeah, he'd have to do a lot more explaining than what he had when they all went out to Chili's, but he knew that Aster and Jamie already knew the whole story. Sandy would understand, of that Jack was sure, but Tooth would probably be upset – aka mad – at him for not telling her. What was it with girls and getting mad at guys for not telling them every little detail anyway?

"What do you mean that you guess you're friends with him, Jack?" Tooth asked him, her violet eyes wide in shock. "He's a creepy pervert! You noticed that your first day here."

"He hasn't exactly been nice to, like, anyone," Jamie added. Sandy had a thoughtful look on his face for a couple of seconds before he nodded in agreement with the brunette.

"You should tell 'em, Frostbite," Aster said lowly. Jack sighed and nodded. He knew that he'd have to tell Tooth and Sandy about it eventually; he had just hoped that he wouldn't have to do it at school and in front of Pitch.

"Tell us what, Jack?" Tooth asked, her eyes narrowed slightly with suspicion.

"Look, remember when I had to stay after school with Pitch so we could finish up our Our Near Neighbor project?" Jack asked them. Both Tooth and Sandy nodded. He continued, "Well, we kind of got to talking about movies and stuff and it turns out that Pitch and I kind of have a few things in common."

"So you both talked about movies and now you're suddenly BFFs?" Tooth asked. Sandy gave Jack a questioning look, but he didn't seem nearly as upset as Tooth was.

"We didn't just talk about movies. Pitch also apologized to me for being a dick and picking a fight with Aster," Jack admitted to her, hoping that she'd stop acting all mad and annoyed and huffy.

It seemed to have done the trick. As soon as he told her that Pitch had apologized, Tooth turned to gawk at the black haired teen once more. He was finishing up his salad, acting as though their conversation didn't matter to him what so ever. But Jack wasn't fooled; he watched the way Pitch's hands trembled whenever he moved them and he saw how Pitch seemed to swell up as though he were expecting a blow to the gut. To him, it was quite obvious that Pitch cared a lot more about their conversation than he was letting on. Jack wondered if anyone else saw that.

"You apologized?" Tooth asked him. Pitch finally took his eyes off his diminished salad and looked at her with a hint of annoyance on his face. Jack was more than sure that that look was just a façade.

"Yes, I apologized. I am human, you know. I know when I've gone too far and have made a mistake. I tend to apologize for my mistakes, Toothiana," Pitch told her. His words seemed to have struck some cord in Tooth because she looked down as though she were guilty and ashamed. What the hell was up with that?

"Did you mean it?" Jamie asked. His brown eyes widened, kind of like he hadn't expected the question to just pop out like that, and he put his hands over his mouth and mouthed sorry. All Jack could see though was his jaw and hands moving. Pitch's yellow eyes turned to Jamie and the smaller teen shifted slightly in his chair.

"Yes, I meant it. I've done a lot of things I'm not exactly proud of and I'd like the chance to make amends for them," Pitch said, his tone not nearly as harsh as the one he had used when he answered Tooth's question.

"O-oh. Right. Gotcha," Jamie said, his hands falling from his mouth and back to the table.

"That doesn't mean that we're gonna trust ya," Aster told Pitch, his green eyes guarded and full of suspicion. But Jack also thought that he was a bit of hope in them as well, and that made him feel better and gave him hope as well.

"I don't expect you lot to trust me right away. It wouldn't make sense if you did. But it would be nice if you all stopped treating me like a leper," Pitch replied, straightening himself up and looking as though he dared anyone to tell him no.

"Then stop acting like one," Tooth told him. Pitch turned to her and glared at her.

"Stop acting like a bitch and maybe I'll think about it," he said coolly.

"Okay, guys, stop fighting," Jack said, interrupting whatever it was that Tooth was going to say. "This isn't going to solve anything. Pitch, if you're going to stop being a weirdo, then show us. Tooth, stop antagonizing Pitch. I know he's a dick, but he's apologized and said that he'd try to less of a creep."

Tooth huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, her violet eyes glaring daggers at Pitch. Pitch sneered at her before he stood up and started walking to dispose of his lunch tray. Jack suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. Seriously, the two of them were acting like little brats having a tantrum. He looked over at his boyfriend and saw that Aster was pushing his food around his plate with a thoughtful expression on his face. But he also looked unsure and even a bit worried. Feeling guilty and bad and like a bad boyfriend, Jack bumped shoulders with the taller teen and sent him a grin.

"Hey," he said. Aster looked up at him with the barest hint of a smile on his face.

"Hey, yourself," he replied.

"You got plans after school today?" Jack asked him, knowing very well that his boyfriend had an Art Club meeting.

"Not after four I don't. Wanna go out on a date with me?" Aster said, his smile widening.

"Oh, I would love to, but my boyfriend would get real mad and jealous," Jack teased. Aster's eyes lit up and he chuckled.

"That's quite a shame. I bet I could take your boyfriend in a bar fight though," Aster told him, sending him a wink.

"I don't like him," Tooth blurted out. Jack and Aster turned to look at her. "What? I don't."

"We know," Aster said. "Believe me, we know. None of us are exactly buddy-buddy with Pitch though."

"No one is," Jamie added. "Maybe that's the problem." When everyone looked at him with confused expressions he explained further.

"Think about it. Maybe if we were, y'know, nicer to Pitch and stuff, he wouldn't be a creeper. Jack, when you talked with Pitch about movies and stuff, did he seem creepy or weird or anything like that?" Jamie asked him.

"No. No, he didn't. He acted like a normal kid to me," Jack answered him.

"And Aster, before the whole…well, you know…was Pitch just like any other guy?" Jamie asked the blue-grey haired teenager.

"Yeah, he did. He was smarter than me though and he knew more about other things than I did, but he still liked goin' t' movies and listenin' t' music and stuff like that," Aster explained.

"Then doesn't it make sense that he'd seem and be less creepy if we treated him like a normal kid instead of a creeper, like we have been?" Jamie asked them.

Sandy mulled his words over before he gave Jamie an encouraging smile and a nod. Tooth rolled her eyes and shook her head before she said, "He's still kind of weird even if he is kinda normal."

"But let's face it: none of us are exactly normal," Jack said. "We've all been cast aside because of one thing or another. For Aster, it was because he likes guys; for Sandy, it was because he's unusually short; for me, it's because of my hair; and for you, Tooth, it's because you're practically obsessed with dentistry and teeth."

"What about me?" Jamie asked. Jack rolled his eyes but smiled at his best friend nonetheless. Honestly, if there was one weird thing about the brunette it was the fact that he was practically friends with everyone.

"You're nice to everyone and that's not normal," Aster told him. Jamie frowned.

"But that's not a bad thing…" the brunette mumbled.

"You're right; it's not a bad thing," Jack said.

"Neither is being passionate about teeth and dentistry," Tooth injected.

"And neither is wanting to teach mythology," Jack added. When everyone gave him a look he added, "Pitch told me that that's what he wants to do."

"Oh," Tooth said softly. Sandy's smile grew and he nodded with excitement.

"Really? That's kind of…neat, actually," Jamie admitted, his eyes lightening with interest.

"So that explains it," Aster mumbled from beside Jack. Jack turned and smiled at his boyfriend before he reached down, grabbed his hand, and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"Yup. It definitely explains it," Jack said. At that moment, Pitch came and sat down. He looked around the table, his eyes slightly wide as he took in the not so hostile expressions on the others' faces.

"What?" he asked. When no one answered him, he shrugged it off and turned to Jack. "So, are you ready to present our project in about, oh, ten minutes or so?"

Jack's face paled and his stomach quivered with the promise of puking. He hated speaking in front of everyone, even his friends. At the other schools he went to, when he'd had to present in front of the class, all he could really focus on were the whispers and jeers of his fellow peers. While he had gotten used to it, that still didn't make things any easier. Dropping his head to the table, Jack groaned loudly.

"Wake me up when it's over," he muttered.


	16. In Which Jamie Makes a Confession

A/N: I know the story has been dragging, but it's going to pick up real soon. Like, in this chapter, actually. I hope you all enjoy it. R&R. Enjoy!

**Chapter Sixteen**

**In Which Jamie Makes a Confession**

"That…was the worst presentation of my entire life," Jack said to Aster and Sandy as they left Our Near Neighbor and made their way to English class.

"It wasn't that bad," Aster reassured him. Sandy nodded in agreement and gave Jack a pat on the arm.

"I stuttered and stumbled on almost every word and I mispronounced half of the crap on the slides!" Jack exclaimed and he had to fight to keep bile from rising in his throat. "And I almost threw up!"

He had been so nervous when he got to class that he had asked to go to the bathroom twice. Aster and Sandy both shot him looks of concern and they tried to reassure him through hand gestures and smiles, but their efforts didn't work. Not that Jack didn't appreciate them because he did, but his stomach always rolled and toiled whenever he even thought about speaking in front of people. Had it only been Aster, Sandy, Jamie and Tooth, he would've been more than comfortable because he knew that they would whisper, laugh or make fun of him. However, he had to present to a class that was mostly of kids he didn't know well and more than a few of them had poked fun at him before. Some of them were even Aster's old friends from the soccer team.

So yeah, the presentation didn't go very well at all. It didn't help that Pitch was his partner and that even though they were kinda on good terms none of his other friends liked him much. Heck, to be honest, not even Jack liked him much. Well, that wasn't entirely true. They had gotten along okay in the library and Jack had even learned a little more about Pitch, which made him seem more normal and less creepy. But that didn't mean that Pitch couldn't still be a creep dick. He proved during lunch whenever he'd say anything to Tooth that he could. And although Jack told him to show them all that he wasn't going to be a creeper, he had neglected to mention that it wouldn't kill Pitch to be nice.

Maybe it would though. And would that be such a bad thing? Considering that Pitch had corrected and added pieces of information to Jack's portion of their Power Point more often than would have been helpful or thoughtful, Jack didn't think him dying would be bad. Granted, at first, Pitch had been helpful at first, it went downhill from there and it only made Jack feel even sicker. That was something he hadn't needed what with all of the stuttering and stumbling and muttering…and the almost throwing up.

Oh yes, Jack had nearly blown chunks on the entire front and second row right in front of him. He had been that nervous and that sick. And it certainly didn't help that Jordon Myers, who was apparently the Captain of the school's football team, made loud, obnoxious comments and kept criticizing him throughout the entire presentation. When Mrs. McFair had told him to knock it off, Jack's words, not hers, he did so for only a few minutes before he started up again. He was sent to the office when it was apparently that Jack could possible throw up on a lot of people. That and the teacher was tired of scolding him. Honestly, Jack couldn't blame her; teenagers should know better, right?

Needless to say, it wasn't the best presentation of his entire life. Of course, it wasn't nearly as bad as the time when he did actually throw up during a presentation at school. Jack had been in fifth grade at the time and at such a young age he hadn't developed the 'tough skin' he had now. Back in fifth grade, he had had no friends whatsoever and he was afraid to even answer a question because he knew people would laugh or snicker at him. They almost always did.

Anyway, the presentation he gave today wasn't as bad as the one he gave in fifth grade, but it was pretty bad.

"True, but ya didn't and that's a good thing!" Aster told him, giving him a smile of encouragement and wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"Yeah, but it was still horrible," Jack mumbled. Aster squeezed him shoulder comfortingly.

"You were nervous, is all. And Jordon was bein' an ass," Aster said. Sandy nodded again and then jerked his chin behind them. Both Jack and Aster turned and spotted Pitch walking down the hall. Sandy gave them a quizzical look before he shrugged.

"You're right, Sandy. Pitch certainly didn't help things, eh?" Aster added.

"No, he didn't. I should've told him that along with him not being a weirdo that he should also try to be a little bit nicer," Jack answered him.

"You mean you shoulda told him t' not be a jackass?" Aster asked, a small smirk on his face.

"Pretty much," Jack quipped.

They arrived at English class and things improved from there on out. Everyone had to hand in the final drafts of their research papers and Jack felt a bit proud of his. He had actually learned a few things about Robert E. Lee, America's most Beloved General of, like, All Time. Mrs. Campbell had told him that his rough draft had been well written and that there were only a few minor errors and mistakes. That had surprised him since Jack was horrible at research papers and research in general, but he was glad that he was passing.

It was while he was on his way to Art 101 that Jamie stopped him in the hall way. The brunette would've texted him but they weren't allowed to have their phones out during school hours. But it didn't matter; Jack was always more than happy to see his best friend. Ad Jamie was his best friend, the first one he had had for a long time. Probably the first one he had had ever. Whenever Jack wasn't with Aster, he was hanging out with Jamie, or all three of them, or five if Sandy and Tooth could come, would hang out and play video games and watch movies or TV. They had, as Tooth put it one time, geekends. Or they went out to eat or go to the mall or to the movie theater. Even so, that didn't mean that Jack never missed Jamie because he did. They had a lot of fun and it made Jack happy to know that he finally found somewhere where he belonged with people who he belonged with.

"Jack! I gotta ask you something," Jamie said in a rush as he stopped in front of the white haired teen.

"Shoot, Jamie," Jack said smiling at him.

"Can we hang out after school today? There's something I need help with," Jamie asked him.

"Well, I'd love to, but Aster's giving me art lessons after school today," Jack told him. Jamie's face fell and he looked so desperate and sad that it wasn't even funny.

"Can't you, like, reschedule or something?" Jamie asked him, bouncing up and down on his heels.

"Jamie…" Jack sighed. He was starting to get the hang of all of the art stuff. And he wasn't in the low C range in Art 101 anymore. He was actually at a B minus level, which was amazing considering that Jack still sucked at art. Hanging out with Jamie would be fun and he'd love to, but he needed all of the help he could get. It wasn't even about hanging out with his boyfriend – at least, not much anyway – but instead it was about making sure he passed his art class.

"I know you need the help, but I wouldn't ask you if it wasn't important. I swear on my life, Jack," Jamie told him, his brown eyes bright with the desperation that was obvious on his face. Jack liked to think that he knew Jamie well enough to know that he was being serious and that he did indeed need his help. He'd do anything for the people he cared about and, really, what was one lesson?

"Okay, okay. No more sad eyes and all of that, all right?" Jack said, smiling at Jamie in the hopes of calming his nerves somewhat. It seemed to work because Jamie's countenance filled with relief and he smiled back at him.

"You are seriously the best friend ever, Jack!" Jamie all but squealed as he hugged Jack. Returning the hug, Jack chuckled and pat the brunette on the back.

"Anything for you, kiddo," he said. Jamie pulled away and rolled his eyes.

"We're the same age, Jack. I'm not a kiddo. I haven't been for, like, ever," Jamie told him. "Anyway, I'll see ya after school at my house, 'kay?"

"Okay," Jack said as he stepped inside his classroom.

Class went by smoothly after that. They had just started the pottery section. At least, Jack called it the pottery section. What else would one call taking clay, molding it, firing it up in the kiln, and then painting it when it was done? Pottery; that's what he called it and that was good enough for him. Whatever. The point was that they spent most of the class listening to Mrs. Hershey talk about the clay stuff and about projects that students have done in the past while the last part of the class was spent figuring out what exactly they would be molding the clay into. Jack went with a pot with random swirling designs. It'd be easy to do and not much effort and that meant that he'd be able to pass with, maybe, a B plus.

When class was over, Jack waited outside from Jamie to show up. He had already sent Aster a text telling him that he had to cancel their plans because Jamie really needed his help. Thankfully, Aster understood and told him to tell Jamie that he hoped everything was okay. Jack knew that Aster would text him anyway, but he said he would regardless. After a couple of minutes had passed, Jamie came rushing out of the school. Looking a little flustered, he grabbed the sleeve of Jack's hoodie and practically dragged him across the school grounds. Jamie lived in walking distance of the school, so they wouldn't have too long of a ways to go.

"Okay Jamie, talk. What's going on, man?" Jack asked him, turning to look at him as he pulled his arm free and walked along side his friend.

"Okay. Here's the thing: you know that there's a school dance right before Christmas break, right?" Jamie asked him in return.

"Yeeesssss," Jack drew the word out, still wondering what it was all about.

"Well, I'm planning on asking someone to go. Someone that I've kind of liked for a while now but haven't approached because…well….because he's an ass," Jamie admitted. That was news to Jack. He hadn't known that Jamie had a thing for someone. Then again, Jamie never really acted out of the ordinary to anyone; he was nice to everyone. It was ridiculous how nice the kid could be some times.

"And…what has that got to do with me exactly?" Jack said. "I mean, if you need support and stuff, then you've got it. You should know that. I can go with you if you want when you ask him out."

"It's not that….not really," Jamie said. He sighed and then looked up at Jack. "I'm going to ask him out to the dance. Jack, I can't dance!" Now, it all made sense.

"Oh. I think I get it now. But Jamie, I can't dance either! I have two left feet!" Jack told him. Jamie chewed on his bottom lip and a feeling of dread and panic hit Jack.

"Oh, nuh-uh. No way. Jamie, I am not going to make a fool outta myself and dance," Jack stated firmly with a shake of his head.

"It'd just be the two of us. Mom and Dad will be going to dinner at a friend's house and Sophie will be a band practice until, like, six or something so we'll have the house to ourselves. No one will see us," Jamie reassured him, his eyes pleading. Jack was not going to cave in. He wasn't. He wasn't.

"Okay." He caved in. Jamie gave him a big, grateful smile.

"All right! You really are the best best friend ever!"

"Yeah, well, I better be considering," Jack mumbled. He wasn't looking forward to dancing to whatever music Jamie played for them.

And he had been right. At first, it had been downright awful. Neither he nor Jamie knew what the hell to do or anything like that. The men in the music videos seemed to know what to do and where to go and how to flow with the music. Jack and Jamie did not. Their moves were awkward and weird and just plain old bad. When Jamie had said that it'd probably help if they 'let the music flow through them', Jack gave him a look that told him to shut the hell up.

However, he listened to Jamie's advice and, as it turned out, things improved. Jack even did a completely lame air guitar solo on one of the rock songs that came up on Jamie's stereo. When it came down to it, they had decided that they should just have fun with it. And they did and they laughed and danced until they had had enough. Had it been awkward? Hell yes. But did they have fun in the end? Hell yes they did and that was what mattered. Sitting down on the couch, Jamie turned off the music and turned the TV on.

"So, who is this guy that you wanted to ask to this dance?" Jack asked Jamie, a small grin on his face. A light blush made its way onto Jamie's face.

"Oh, y'know…just this…one guy," Jamie mumbled.

"Yeaaaah, but whooooo?" Jack asked as he bumped shoulders with his best friend. "You can tell me. I won't laugh. Promise."

Jamie looked at him, turned away and sighed, and then stared at the TV. He swallowed a few times as he chewed on his lip. Jack gave him all of the time in the world. It was obvious that it was hard for Jamie to tell him about his secret crush. Now that he actually thought about it, he really didn't know much about Jamie's love life except that he had once dated a band geek named Jonathan during his sophomore year. Jack had seen and spoke to Jonathan a few times; he was a chunky kid who played the tuba but he was really nice.

Eventually, Jamie sighed again and spoke up.

"It's Pitch."


	17. In Which Jamie Asks Pitch to the Dance

A/N: I hope you all liked the last chapter. It was quite a surprise wasn't it? Well, here's the next one! R&R. Enjoy!

**Chapter Seventeen**

**In Which Jamie Asks Pitch to the Dance**

"It's Pitch," Jamie confessed, hanging his head as though embarrassed or in shame.

Jack sat there stunned into silence. What the hell was he supposed to say to that? Yes, he had told Jamie that he wouldn't laugh at him or anything and so far he hadn't, but he wasn't sure of what to say exactly. How could he say anything without sounding like a jerk or a hypocrite? And yeah, Pitch was kind of his friend, but Jamie was his best friend and Jack…

He was confused as hell, first of all. Why would Jamie choose Pitch out of everyone else in the school? What had his best friend seen in him? And for how long had Jamie liked Pitch? And then he was worried because if Jamie liked Pitch enough to ask him out and did so in front of other people, Pitch might turn him down. By that, Jack meant that Pitch would probably be incredibly mean and cruel to Jamie. If that happened, Jack would beat the shit out of him himself. However, he may not even get the chance to hear about it because their friends might not be all for it. Jack knew that Jamie might not even take the chance if Aster, Sandy, and Tooth were dead set against it.

Telling them right now that Jamie liked Pitch wouldn't be a good thing. Sandy wasn't an issue because he was the most laid back of them all. Judging on how he had been acting at lunch and how he was whenever Pitch was mentioned, it seemed as though Sandy was all for second chances and that stuff. Aster was…well, Jack knew that it was rocky ground for his boyfriend and Pitch. It probably would be for a while. After all, Pitch was still a creepy jerk and he had yet to apologize for what he had done to Aster. If he had, Aster would've mentioned it and Pitch probably would have told Jack because, for some odd reason, he seemed to be able and willing to Jack a lot of things.

Tooth was going to be the problem. Jack understood that she thought that Pitch was a major creep and douche bag (mainly because he still was). He also understood that she disliked him; until recently, Jack had disliked Pitch as well, but now he only half disliked him and half liked him, if that made any sense whatsoever. But what Jack didn't understand was why Tooth seemed to hate Pitch as much as she did. She seemed to seriously want to tear his head off, and Jack wasn't talking about the one on Pitch's neck. When he had first started going to this school, Tooth hadn't hidden the fact that she practically loathed Pitch, but he hadn't gotten the entire story. Not yet at least.

So, when it came down to it, Jack was more worried about Jamie being hurt by Pitch and by everyone else than he was about his best friend actually dating Pitch. He hadn't realized how long he had been silent and thinking until Jamie slumped back on the couch and covered his face with his hands, breathing in and out in an attempt to stop becoming hysterical.

"Oh, my God… Oh, my God… Oh, my God…" Jamie wheezed in and out. That brought Jack back and he quickly pulled his best friend into a hug.

"Hey, hey, hey! Calm down, Jamie! I'm not mad at you or anything," he said. Through his hands, Jamie responded.

"Y-you're not?" he asked.

"No, I'm not! How could I be? You're my best friend!" Jack told him. "I'm just worried. That's all."

"About what? I'm not a little kid anymore. I know what I'm doing," Jamie said, removing his hands and looking every bit like a stubborn ass teenager. It made Jack smile.

"I know you do, but you can't tell me that you'd take it well if Pitch turned you down flat, especially if he wasn't nice about it," Jack said gently. The stubborn look on Jamie's face vanished and his brown eyes looked down. He kept quiet for a few minutes before he nodded to himself and spoke.

"You're right, Jack… I'd probably be crushed if he did that," Jamie admitted. "No, I'd definitely be crushed. But I don't think he'd turn me down. At least, I hope he won't."

"You and me both, Jamie." Jack paused for a minute before he opened his mouth again. "Hey, Jamie?"

"Yeah?"

"Why Pitch? I mean, of all people, why him? You never seemed interested in him before now," Jack asked. Jamie blushed and looked away for a second before he met Jack's blue eyes with his brown ones.

"The truth is, Jack, that I've always liked Pitch. You know I get along with practically everybody at school. Well, Pitch has never caused me problems. We were good friends in middle school," Jamie explained.

"Yeah, I was told he had friends in middle school but that they kind of drifted away from him once he reached high school," Jack mentioned softly, almost as though he were talking more to himself than his best friend.

"Well, I was one of them. And it wasn't so much as his friends drifted away as Pitch kind of become a loner," Jamie elaborated. "During our freshman year, we had a history class together. It was called Nonwestern Civilization and it was taught by Mr. Carbaugh. He's retired now, but he was big on mythology and legends and he always incorporated a few into each lesson plan. Pitch was fascinated by it and he began obsessing over that stuff. Mr. Carbaugh took him under his wing and helped him out until he retired. Pitch was never the same after that."

"He told me what he wanted to teach mythology but he never told me how or why he got so involved in it," Jack told Jamie. Jamie nodded and a small smile formed on his lips.

"That's what he told me and a lot of other kids that year too. They began making fun of him and Pitch…well, he's always been a bit sensitive to criticism. His mom and dad are dead set on getting him into a big Ivy League college and having him become the CEO of their company when his dad retires. That's not what he wants to do, but more than anything, Pitch wants his parents' approval. It's messed up and stuff, but it does explain why he is the way he is," Jamie said.

Wow. Jack hadn't known any of that. Jamie was right though; it did explain a lot. It explained why Pitch was such a jerk; who else could he have learned it from aside from his own parents? And Jesus, Jack thought that he had it bad with being picked on for his unnatural white hair! At least his dad wasn't pressuring him to go to college and take over the company. Jack wanted to take over for his dad because he loved making kids happy and what better way to do that than make toys for them to have fun with? Every time he went with his dad to the toy factory or building he had fun looking around and learning about everything. But Pitch didn't want to follow in his father's footsteps. He wanted to do something else with his life, but he wanted his parents' to approve of him more than anything else.

Great, now Jack felt really bad for him. Okay, he had been feeling bad for being so mean to Pitch and because everyone else seemed to hate him. Now though, Jack realized that Pitch's creepiness and his stand offish personality were just cover ups for who he really was down at the core: a little boy who just wanted to make his parents proud. Was that something to be so ashamed of? To Jack, no, not really, that was nothing to be ashamed of. A lot of kids wanted their parents to be proud of them. But a lot of kids didn't take their frustrations and lack of control out on everyone else.

"That does make sense. So, you liked him before high school then?" Jack asked, wagging his eye brows at the brunette. Jamie nodded.

"Yeah, I guess. I never really thought about it back then. I mean, I was a kid. Now, we're, like, a year from graduating and I still feel as though I could walk on air whenever I look at Pitch," he said.

"Then how did you feel about Aster and Pitch and all of that?" Jack asked, unable to stop himself. He seriously needed to stop blurting stuff out. Jamie's eyes widened slight as though he hadn't been expecting the question, but he answered it nonetheless.

"It was…hard. Very hard, to be honest. Aster's such a nice guy and he was good friends with Pitch in middle school. But Aster was more focused on sports and stuff and was too involved with the 'in' crowd to admit that he was friends with Pitch. I think that's why he still thinks that Pitch is a weirdo, because he feels bad for not being more of a friend when the guys on the football team and the soccer team made fun of Pitch," Jamie explained to him. "Aster's an awesome friend and I think that's because of what Pitch did. It was really mean and totally not cool, but losing all of those jerks who were his 'friends' made Aster a better person and it made him become more involved in his art."

"You mean to say that although Aster suffered a lot, he's better off for it because it made him a better person?" Jack asked, trying to make sure that he followed his friend's line of thought.

"Yup. Pretty much. But it still hurts to know that Pitch still kind of cares for Aster, y'know?" Jamie asked.

"Oh, I don't think that Pitch is still head over heels for Aster, but I'm not too sure about that," Jack mumbled to himself.

"What was that?" Jamie asked. Jack shook his head.

"Nothin'. All of those times that you said Pitch was a dick…" Jack trailed off.

"Well, he can be, but I still like him. He's like a teddy dear. He's scary on the outside but full of fluff on the inside. And it's not like I can make my feelings go away. I've like him for, like, practically ever," Jamie said, his face getting red again.

"So…what are you going to do now?" Jack asked.

"Ask Pitch to come to the dance with me. Hey! You and Aster should come with us. Like a double date!" Jamie said, bouncing up and down on the couch excitedly.

"I dunno, Jamie… Dances are…" Jack started, but Jamie shot him a look.

"You two are going. End of story."

"Okay, oaky," Jack said holding up his hands in surrender.

"Good."

"What if Tooth makes a big fuss over it? I know Sandy will be okay with it and Aster will need more time to get used to Pitch being around… What is Tooth's deal with Pitch anyway?" Jack asked.

"Tooth doesn't like Pitch because he dated Pippa, who is one of Tooth's friends, and broke up with her in middle school. Freaking middle school! But Tooth holds grudges forever and she hasn't forgotten how Pippa snotted all over Tooth's jacket," Jamie answered him.

"Really? That's it?"

"Well, Pitch and Tooth are both really, really smart and are rivals in the classes they share. And Tooth didn't get one of her scholarships to the college she wants to go to for dentistry and that scholarship is funded by the charity work that Pitch's parents' company supports," Jamie added.

"Okay, not it makes a bit more sense. But still…"

"There's probably more to it," Jamie said. "You'd have to ask Tooth herself. She'd probably give you a list as long as a mile."

"All righty then… So, you're gonna ask Pitch out tomorrow?"

"Yep," Jamie answered.

"Good luck," Jack said.

The following day at lunch, Jamie sat down beside Pitch. They shared a look and Jack could see that Pitch felt more comfortable with his old friend by his side. Neither of them talked for a little while. Actually, hardly anyone talked. Tooth was too busy shoot glares at Pitch out of the corner of her eye, Sandy was eating his lunch, and Jack was talking Aster into going with him and Jamie to the dance. Apparently, Aster had never been to any of the school dances and hadn't planned on it. But, after a little persuasion, he conceded.

And then…

"Pitch, would…would you go to the Winter Dance with me?" Jamie asked suddenly. Pitch and everyone else at the table stared wide eye at the brunette.

And then all hell broke loose.


	18. In Which All Hell Breaks Loose

A/N: I hope everyone had a lovely Easter. As an Easter present for you lot, here's the latest chapter. R&R. Enjoy!

**Chapter Eighteen**

**In Which All Hell Breaks Loose**

"What the hell, Jamie?!" Tooth all but shouted.

"Oi! What'd ya do t' my friend, Pitch?" Aster growled, his green eyes narrowed at the black haired teen.

"You can't be serious! I mean…it's fucking _Pitch_, for Christ's sake!" Tooth yelled, her violet eyes holding a rage and anger that made Jack wish he was being eaten by a zombie.

And then, suddenly…

"I'd…I'd like to, Jamie," Pitch told the brunette, the shock gone from his expression although the surprise was still there. But there was something else there as well; a bashfulness that Jack had never seen on Pitch's face before and yet seemed appropriate on his face. It would have made Jack smile had Tooth not been screeching like a God damned banshee.

"Oh, hell no! This is so not happening," Tooth exclaimed, her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits and directed solely on Pitch. "This is so not fucking happening!"

"Jamie, ya can' be serious, mate! This is Pitch we're talkin' about," Aster said, trying to remain calm and collected. He failed terribly at it, in Jack's opinion, because the blue-grey haired teen looked like he wanted to kill something. Like Pitch, for example.

"Jamie, you can't do this! You can't want to go to the Winter Dance with Pitch, of all people!" And then, Tooth turned her attention from Jamie to Pitch, who looked like a deer ready to bolt. Jack honestly could not blame him one bit.

"Guys…" he tried, but no one was listening to him. Actually, Jamie was the only one who even heard him.

"You're not going with Jamie. I won't allow it," Tooth seethed at the taller teen. That made everyone shut up. It was so quiet that Jack could hear the cafeteria clock ticking on the wall by their table. Everyone stared wide eyed at their only female companion, even Pitch, whose mouth was open unattractively in shock and disbelief.

"Tooth, listen," Jack began calmly in an attempt to reign in the situation. It didn't work because Tooth turned her glare to him and he actually winced at the ferocity of it.

"No, Jack, you listen. All of you listen right now," she hissed. "This jackass is not worth our time and energy or anything else. He's not part of our group and he's never going to be."

"You," she said, pointing her finger at Jamie, who looked like he was about to burst into tears. Whether they were sad tears or angry ones, Jack didn't know, because his best friend looked both very sad and incredibly angry all at once. "You are so not going to the Winter Dance with Pitch. He's nowhere near good enough for you."

"And you," she continued, directing her glare at Sandy, whose eyes widened and he looked about six inches tall. "Knock off all of the 'second chance' mumbo-jumbo bullshit. And that goes for you too, Aster."

"Me? What'd I do?" Jack's boyfriend asked, only to receive and even colder glare from Tooth.

"As for you…" Tooth growled, rounding on Jack, her eyes so full of anger that it practically radiated off of her in waves. "You started all of this shit. If you hadn't started acting nice and friendly to Pitch, he wouldn't be here. This is all your fault."

"No, Tooth, it's not," Jamie told her firmly, his brown eyes glaring at her. She turned her attention to him and seemed a bit surprised that he had objected to what she had said.

"Excuse me?"

"No, you're not excused. You are over reacting, like a lot. I can date whoever I want and if I want to go to the Winter Dance with Pitch, then who are you to stop me?" Jamie told her, his voice full of anger and irritation. Tooth had the audacity to look offended.

"I'm your friend, Jamie," she said.

"If you really are my friend, then you'll support me through this. Even if Pitch turns out to be a complete waste of time – which I don't think you are, by the way," Jamie added, giving Pitch a strained smile which made the black haired teen relax just a little bit. Huh. How come Jack had never noticed that? "Anyway, even if it turns out to be a waste of time, I don't care because it's _my_ decision. And if things go sour, then you're supposed to come over to my house, watch sad, depressing movies, and eat a tub of ice cream."

"Jamie, you don't understand…" Tooth began but trailed off, still looking angry but also looking more upset and contrite.

"Yes, I do, Tooth," Jamie replied, his brown eyes meeting her violet ones. "You're still pissed about what Pitch did to Pippa, which was ages ago, by the way, and you're pissed that you didn't get that scholarship. But Tooth, Pitch can't control what his parents' company does or anything like that."

"It's not about Pippa or the stupid scholarship!" Tooth shouted, standing up and knocking her chair over. Her tiny chest heaved as she breathed in and out and she looked ready to either bawl her eyes out or punch somebody. Or both. Jack would guess that it was probably both.

"Then what is it, then?!" Jamie almost shouted back. He had raised his voice but it wasn't as loud as Tooth's was.

At that point, Jack looked around the cafeteria and saw that everyone was looking in their direction. No one was talking or whispering or anything. They were all just gawking and staring and, at some tables, pointing. A teacher Jack had only seen during lunch time started heading towards their table and he began to feel a bubble of panic ebb up inside of him. If a teacher came over and they all got in trouble, that was only going to make things so much worse.

"I don't want you to go with Pitch to the dance because _I_ want to go with you!" Tooth confessed. Her violet eyes widened and tears began to fall freely from them.

Jack stared up at her dumbfounded. He had had no clue, not one single clue. Glancing over at Jamie, who looked just as stupefied as he did, he reckoned that his best friend hadn't known it either. Hell, it seemed as though no one knew about it. Aster looked shocked and Jack reached out to grab his hand, needing something to hold onto. Sandy looked both shocked and a little hurt. That made Jack think that maybe…something had been going on between him and Tooth? Sure, they would always pair up whenever they would all go out somewhere, but he hadn't realized that Sandy liked Tooth in that way. Then again, he had never really asked and even now, he still wasn't sure if that was the case.

Turning to look at Pitch, Jack felt a little jolt of surprise. He had seen Pitch angry, embarrassed, flirty, and even uncertain, but what he saw on the taller teen's face right then and there was something new, something different. Pitch looked downright afraid and concerned. There were traces of guilt and regret in his yellow eyes and his hands were shaking. Like, obviously shaking. Anyone who bothered to look would be able to see it and Jack couldn't help but feel bad for the poor guy. After all, Jamie had just asked him out to the dance and Tooth blew up at it. And although Pitch was taller than anyone else at the table, an angry Tooth was a force to be reckoned with and someone to be afraid of.

But he had said yes to Jamie and for a brief moment, he looked like a normal kid, one who was genuinely surprised that anyone would want to go to the dance with him. That gave Jack some hope. If Pitch had said yes to Jamie, then he can't be all that bad. Plus, does that mean that he's finally starting to let go of Aster? That would be extremely helpful for all of them. And luckily for Pitch, he had said yes because if he hadn't Jack was going to deck him.

A small sob escaped Tooth and she all but ran from their table and out of the cafeteria. They all watched her go, no one saying one word. No one knew what the hell to do period! What the hell could they do? Go after her? Would Tooth even want them to follow? No, Jack didn't think she would. He thought that, more than anything, she would want to be left alone for a little while. She had just, after all, made a pretty big confession and he knew that it had been hard on her. That much was obvious just by looking at her.

After a long pause, other teens around them began to talk, and Jack knew that it was about them because people kept looking over at them and pointing. He mentally rolled his eyes. Did people have any idea of how obvious they are? Apparently not, he told himself. Returning his attention back to his friends, Jack noticed that they were all very, very quiet and tense and uncomfortable. So, being the complete and total moron he was, he broke the silence.

"I was…not expecting that," Jack said softly.

"Yeah…. Neither was I," Jamie admitted, looking flustered and guilty and on the verge of a breakdown.

"I don' think none of us were," Aster mumbled, sharing a look with Sandy, who refused to look at anyone and kept his eyes fixated on his lunch tray as though it were the most fascinating thing on the planet.

"Is everything okay here?" The teacher had finally made it to their table and he gave each of them a look mixed with concern and curiosity.

"Yes, Mr. Zinner. Everything's fine," Jamie answered almost automatically, giving Mr. Zinner a half assed smile. But the teacher bought it and he gave Jamie a smile back.

"All right. If something does happen, make sure to let me or one of the other teachers know, okay?" he said before he walked off. They all fell silent again and Jack shifted in his chair, leaning closer to Aster. His boyfriend's body heat was more than welcoming and made him feel better and more secure.

"Does…does this mean that you'd….well, that you'd rather go to the dance with Tooth then?" Pitch asked suddenly. Jamie's head jerked up and Jack watched as their eyes met.

"No! No, I…I'd still love to go with you. If you still wanna go with me, that is," Jamie answered, a blush creeping on his face and making him as red as a tomato.

"Yes, I definitely would like to go with you," Pitch answered, looking a bit embarrassed himself. From beside him, Jack felt Aster relax. He could only image how his boyfriend had to feel knowing that the guy that had basically been pinning after him forever was finally moving on. It must have been nice to know that a friend was willing to find happiness elsewhere.

"I'm warnin' ya now, Pitch. If ya even try t' hurt Jamie, I'll be ya to a bloody pulp," Aster grumbled, his green eyes boring into Pitch's yellow ones.

"But only after I'm finished with you," Jack added, a small grin on his face.

Things kind of returned to normal after that. Jamie, Jack, and Aster started talking about homework and anything and everything that wasn't about what had just happened. Pitch would comment on a few things or join in, but for the most part he remained quiet and subdued, content to just listen and observe. Half way through, Sandy stood up abruptly and took his tray and book bag with him. They watched him go, no one knowing what to do or say. After that, they stayed mostly quiet and brought their trays up just in time for the bell to ring.

Jack wasn't sure what was worse: what had happened at lunch, Tooth storming out crying, or Sandy being so upset that he just up and left.


	19. In Which Jack and Aster Almost Have Sex

A/N: Holy crap, guys. 300 plus reviews?! I must be doing something right, I suppose… Thank you all so very much for all of your support! I know I say this every, single time, but I just cannot express my gratitude enough. Seriously, you guys are the bomb. Give yourselves a big pat on the back! Here's the next chapter. R&R. Enjoy!

**Chapter Nineteen**

**In Which Jack and Aster Almost Have Sex**

It had been three days since the whole cafeteria scene. Three very long, very tiresome, very awkward days.

Tooth refused to sit with them anymore. Instead, she sat with Pippa, Cupcake, Caleb and Claude and pretty much steered clear of Jack, Jamie and everyone else. She would say hi to them in class and in the hallway, but for the most part she kept her distance. Jack understood; Tooth was heartbroken and was dealing with it in the only way she knew how. The tears that shone in her eyes made that quite obvious to him. It made him feel bad and Jack could only guess how bad it made Jamie feel.

His best friend had taken to sitting next to Pitch at lunch. Pitch himself still looked like a lost, little boy who had no idea what to do anymore. While Jamie smiled at him, talked to him, and tried to include him in the lunch table conversation, Pitch still looked and acted like the odd man out. In a sense, he was. Jack was still iffy about him half of the time, but as he got to know Pitch through his involvement in their conversations, he found that they actually had a lot in common. Even Aster was relaxing and warming back up to Pitch, which made Jack happy. More than anything, he wanted his boyfriend to have his friend back because he genuinely thought that they'd make great friends. From what he had been told, they had been before everything happened.

That didn't mean that Aster was one hundred percent okay with Pitch. There were still a lot of moments when it seemed as though the blue-grey haired teen could bite Pitch's head off and when Pitch would snap back just as hard. Usually, they wouldn't talk to one another for a while afterwards, but then someone would break the ice and things would go back to normal. Or as normal as they could go.

Sandy, however, worried Jack the most. Tooth was dealing with things in her own way and Jamie was a big boy who drew strength silently from his friends and the support they automatically gave him. But Sandy was naturally quiet. Actually, Jack had never heard him utter a word. All he had ever heard from the shorter teen was a soft, barely audible sigh. But he could tell that Sandy was taking things hard and that worried Jack a lot. He didn't know how Sandy dealt with things or if he even was dealing with things.

For the past three days, Sandy has looked so down and depressed that it wasn't even funny. Before, he would always nod or shrug or shake his head whenever he was participating in a conversation or asked a question. Now, he hardly even looked up from his lunch tray and when he was asked a question, he'd either nod slowly or shake his head. More than once, Jack had seen Sandy watch Tooth as she sat with her other friends and he felt for his smaller friend. And part of him was mad at Tooth for doing this to Sandy.

Okay, yeah, she hadn't known that Sandy had liked her like that. Hell, to be honest, none of them knew about it. But couldn't Tooth have at least tried to talk to Sandy? She might be hurting, but she could still talk to Sandy or to any one of them, as a matter of fact. And it would probably help the both of them out. Besides, hadn't Tooth already known that Jamie was gay, what with him dating that band geek? His sexuality probably came up once or twice more since friends always talked about stuff like crushes and all of that, so Tooth had to have known.

In the end, the whole thing was just one gigantic headache that made Jack want to pound his head against the wall just to feel some relief.

He hated that his friends were fighting. He hated that Tooth and Sandy and everyone else was upset and scared and mad. He hated the awkwardness and the self-consciousness that everyone was radiating. But most of all, he hated the fact that he had been the one who started all of it.

And let's face it; Jack was the one who started all of this shit. If he hadn't started feeling bad for Pitch and started seeing him as a kind of, sort of, but not really friend, then Jack wouldn't have tried to get the others to like him. If he would've just kept his damn mouth shut in the library, no one would be hurting. Aster wouldn't be unsure of where he stood with Pitch and things wouldn't be awkward between them because, well, things would've stayed the same. Tooth would still be sitting with them, laughing and talking and being happy. Sandy would be happy. And Jamie…

No, Jack wasn't sure if things would've stayed the same. Jamie had told him that he had liked Pitch for a while, so maybe he would've asked the dark haired teen out regardless of Jack trying to get the others to like Pitch or not. After all, his best friend had a mind of his own and he was allowed to do whatever he wanted and date whoever he wanted. And if he had been planning to ask Pitch out long before Jack arrived, then there really was nothing he could do to change it. It was what it was and from what Jamie had told him, his crush on Pitch had been around longer than Tooth's crush on Jamie.

Jack sighed heavily to himself as he stood outside Aster's front door. He had just sent his boyfriend a text telling him that he was there, but he was about to knock on the door anyway. Before he could, it opened up and revealed a woman with blue-grey hair and green eyes. Aster's mom gave Jack a big, warm smile that he returned whole heartedly. From the second he met her, Jack loved Aster's mom. She was nice and sweet and really understanding. With just one look, she could tell if something was wrong with someone.

"Jack! Aster had me you were comin'," she said as she held the door open for him. He stepped inside and gave her a hug.

"It's nice to see you again, Mrs. Bunnymund," he replied. She had told him to call her Anna when they first met, but as he didn't know her that well, Jack didn't. He still didn't out of respect. North may not have been his biological dad, but he had raised him right.

"Aster's up in his room, so go on up," she told him, giving him another warm before she started towards the kitchen.

He made his way up the stairs, wishing he wasn't so distracted by thoughts of Tooth and Jamie and, well, every dang thing under the sun. Jack needed to get away from the worrying and the awkwardness for a little while. That was why he was at Aster's house. They had been planning to hanging out and watch the first season of _True Blood_ – because Aster loves the show but Jack has never seen it and apparently that's a crime in the Bunnymund family. And Jack wanted more than anything to cuddle with his boyfriend and spend some time with him.

Yes, it was a school night, but who cared? His dad was out of town, having left around noon, and wouldn't be back until Monday. Jack hated being alone in the house and as North gave his okay for a sleepover at his boyfriend's, he was so going to do it. Besides, he had been kind of neglecting Aster a little bit and he felt bad for doing that. So, he was going to be spending the night at his boyfriend's house, cuddle with him, probably make-out, and watch some show about vampires. Not all in that order, of course; after all, _True Blood_ would probably be playing in the background, forgotten, as they made out. With his book bag slung on his shoulder and his overnight bag clutched in his left hand, Jack stepped into the upstairs hallway.

The door to Aster's bedroom was opened slightly, so Jack just pushed it open with his shoe. His book bag, weighed down by books, nearly snagged on the door knob and he was busy trying not to knock a few things over as he made his way into the room, so he didn't notice that Aster was half naked. At least, not until he dropped his stuff on the floor and turned around. Turning around, Jack spotted Aster standing by one of his two bedroom windows. He was wearing his favorite blue flannel pajama bottoms and nothing else as he towel dried his blue-grey hair.

Holy crap.

Jack was completely sure that his mouth was hanging open unattractively. Yeah, he'd seen half naked guys before – he did have gym class, hello! But he had never seen someone that he had dated or had a crush on half naked. That least, not until now anyway. Although Aster hadn't played any sports for a while now, his body was still flawless and chiseled. His torso had muscles, but they were big and bulging and obnoxious. And Jack would bet that they'd ripple underneath his finger tips… Aster's green eyes widened and he stopped drying his hair. Placing the towel on his shoulders, he began to head towards Jack.

Oh, God, he needed a cold shower or something. As Jack stared at Aster's bare chest, he could vaguely hear his boyfriend talking to him, but his words didn't register. How could they when Jack was so preoccupied with seeing his boyfriend like this, his chest still slightly wet from the shower and his mind conjuring dirty images? Seeing Aster half naked in his bedroom, where there was a bed, was totally different from seeing him change in gym class, especially since Jack hardly paid attention since he was changing himself. And now, Aster was standing in front of him, close enough to reach out and touch, and Jack was sorely tempted to.

But then, he began to panic. Jack had never had sex before in his life. He had never received a hand job or a blow job and he had never given either one ever. To say he had little experience was an understatement. And he had never told Aster about never having sex because when he had told the taller teen about his dating history, he figured it was a given that he was a virgin. However, maybe he should've told Aster that he wasn't exactly ready for that yet.

"Jack," Aster's voice brought Jack back to the present and his blue eyes looked up into green eyes. His boyfriend's eyes were full of amusement and kindness and affection. It took his breath away.

"Y-Yeah?" Jack finally managed brilliantly. Yep. He was screwed. Not literally, though.

Aster grinned and grabbed Jack by his waist. With little to no effort, he threw Jack on the bed, gently of course, and climbed on top of him. Squirming, Jack rose himself up on his elbows and looked up at the blue-grey haired teen. Chuckling, Aster leaned down and, an inch from Jack's lips, he said, "Like what ya see, Frostbite?"

Jack knew for sure that his face was redder than a tomato. He couldn't help it. His boyfriend, the hottest effing thing on the planet, was hovering over him half naked on his bed. Where Jack could easily reach out and touch him. Their shared body heat made him feel as though he were burning up and his stomach churned and toiled. And just the very thought of their position was doing crazy things to his brain and other parts of his body as well. But Jack, never wanting to be speechless, forced himself to answer Aster's question, even though he was more than certain that he squeaked or something equally as embarrassing.

"Maybe I do," he replied. That only made Aster's grin widen.

"Jus' a maybe?" he asked as he lightly pressed his hips down against Jack's. The sensations that spread throughout Jack's body made him gasp. Never before had he felt such things, not with anyone else at least. Yeah, he'd spanked one out a few times, but he was a guy! He had his needs. But this was different, so very different, and a lot more serious than masturbation.

"A-Aster…I….I… Um…" Jack stuttered while Aster leaned down and nuzzled his neck. His lips were barely brushing against Jack's neck, but it was enough to spark a fire that spread quickly throughout his entire body.

"Yes?" Aster said, drawing out the word as he pressed a feather light kiss to Jack's pulse.

"Boys! Dinner's ready!" Aster's mom called up the stairs loudly. Her voice broke through the moment they were having and Aster sat back.

Sitting up, Jack gave Aster a shy smile and ran a hand through his white hair. Aster reached out and pulled him into a hug, which he gladly returned. Snuggling into his boyfriend's warm and still half naked body calmed him down, although he was still very well aware that Aster was still half naked. But he forced himself to calm down and breathe in Aster's scent. Ah, the smell of Axe did wonders in almost every scenario.

"I said dinner, boys!" Aster's mom called again. Aster and Jack both sighed before they parted. Aster stood up and made his way over to his dresser, opening the top drawer and pulling out a white t-shirt.

"We'll continue this later, eh?" he said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. Jack laughed.

"That depends," he answered.

"On what exactly?" Aster asked as they made their way out of his room and towards the stairs.

"On if _True Blood_ really is as boring as I think it is," Jack replied. Aster scoffed in mock offense as they started down the stairs. Tonight, Jack felt, was going to be a good night. He wouldn't go all the way, not just yet, but they would definitely be doing some heavy making out.


	20. In Which Jack Goes to the Dance

A/N: I'm glad that you all liked the last chapter. Some of your responses made me laugh quite loudly and for that I thank you. Here's the next chapter. R&R. Enjoy!

**Chapter Twenty**

**In Which Jack Goes to the Dance**

Jack wasn't sure what was worse: the fact that Katy Perry's _California Gurls_ was playing or the tacky, typical decorations littering the gymnasium. Okay, he would admit that Katy's _I Kissed a Girl_ song was pretty sweet, but honestly, too much was too much. And yeah, it was the Winter Dance, so the gigantic snowflakes hanging from the ceiling shouldn't have surprised him. But why did they need ten – yes, ten – humongous snow men, four ugly ass, pure white Christmas trees – because green was apparently overrated – and an obnoxious amount of white balloons that seemed to love to attack people? Why, oh why, did they need all of that? As if that wasn't bad enough, the confetti was.

There were already snowflakes dangling down from on high – some of which Jack helped cut out because Jamie had forced him to come to the Art Club's meeting a few days prior (and apparently, Jack had a talent for making paper snowflakes) – so why did they need confetti? It wafted down gently from the ceiling from buckets that teachers would handle up in the gym's rafters. The stupid confetti got in the food, the drinks, and people's eyes; couldn't the teachers tell it was a nuisance? From the looks on some of the teachers face, they could, but they were being paid for tossing it out of the buckets so what did they care?

Rolling his eyes, Jack glared at the crowd of dancers that was taking up the majority of the room in the gym. Just because he had learned how to dance, somewhat crudely, with Jamie didn't mean that he was going to. Like, ever. Even though his best friend forced him to go to the stupid dance with the stupid decorations and the stupid people and that he had caved in and agreed that didn't mean that Jack was going to enjoy himself because, honestly, so far he wasn't. Not on bit. How could he when Sandy was still so dang sad and depressed and Tooth was still not talking to them?

Currently, he was sitting at one of the tables off to the side of the gym. Aster had just gone to the bathroom and Jack was sitting at the table with Sandy, who had been lost in thought all night. Jamie was out on the dance floor with Pitch and Jack was surprised at how well they fit together. And they did go well together; Jamie's shorter stature and more honest and open personality counteracted Pitch's taller frame and introverted personality. How could he have not seen it before, how well they complimented each other? Well, 'opposites attract' or so they say; perhaps he had been too cynical to believe that age old saying. He didn't like to think he was, but as he hadn't considered it beforehand, perhaps he was.

"Hey, Sandy…" Jack began but stopped when he turned to look at his shorter friend.

Sandy's eye were focused on one person and that was Tooth, who looked absolutely stunning in her light blue press with pink, purple, and green flowers in her hair, keeping it from hiding her face. He had to admit that if he wasn't gay, he'd want to date her. Tooth was standing beside the punch table with Cupcake and they were talking about something. Although she would laugh on occasion, Jack could tell that it was forced and that she really did look incredibly unhappy. Turning back to Sandy, who looked just as, if not more, unhappy, a sudden idea popped into Jack's mind and he smiled to himself.

"Y'know, Sandy, you should go over there and ask Tooth to dance," he said. Sandy turned to look at him, his eyes widen with surprise and finally, finally, he looked normal. He shook his head 'no' even though he looked like he was contemplating the idea.

"I know that Tooth said that she likes Jamie, but she's had a week to kind of accept things. Besides, she doesn't look very happy even with those friends of hers. She needs a real friend, like you," Jack urged.

Sandy looked distraught for a moment as he watched Tooth. Then, a look of stubborn determination replaced the distraught expression and Sandy nodded firmly to himself. Standing up, he marched his way across the gym towards Tooth. Jack couldn't hear what Tooth was saying, but he watched her face lighten in surprise as Sandy gently took her hand and lead her out onto the dance floor. He was grinning and giggling like a fool as he watched the two of them move and sway to the music, both of them looking lighter than they had been since Jamie had asked Pitch out.

"You look smug and proud. What'd ya do this time?" Aster asked him as he sat down at the table. Smiling up at his boyfriend, who looked to die for hot in his tux, Jack pointed to Sandy and Tooth.

"Oh, you know, the usual. Meddling in people's love lives," he responded. "They look happier, don't they?"

"Yeah, they do," Aster agreed. "Why did ya think of that ages ago, Frostbite?" Jack scoffed and elbowed his boyfriend. Aster merely laughed and pulled him to his side in a one armed hug.

"Shut up! I can't help it that things either come to me or don't. That's not my fault. It's my brain's," Jack told him. Just then, Jamie and Pitch came and sat down at the table, Styrofoam cups of punch in their hands.

"What's your brain's fault, Jack?" Jamie asked before taking a sip of his punch.

"Not thinking of stuff. Look at Sandy and Tooth on the dance floor," Jack replied, pointing his finger.

Jamie and Pitch both looked towards where Tooth and Sandy were dancing on the dance floor. As Blink-182's _All the Small Things_ began playing – ceasing the horrible onslaught that was Katy Perry, much to Jack's delight and Jamie's disappointment – Tooth and Sandy began to really get into it, dancing and laughing and carrying on almost as though nothing had ever happened. Oh, things were still a teeny bit awkward, but Jack was hoping that their friendship had been one that could withstand enormous amounts of awkwardness.

"How'd you get them out there, Jack?" Jamie asked in awe as he stared.

"I just gave Sandy a little push of encouragement and he took it. Nothin' to it for an old pro like me," Jack said.

"'Old pro'. Yeah right" Aster chuckled. Jack gaped at his boyfriend in mock offense.

"Hey! I'll have you know that I helped Jamie out with Pitch," he retorted.

"Oh, didja now?" Aster countered, a grin on his face.

"Actually, he did," Jamie told him, smiling up at Pitch, who looked a bit sheepish and shrugged, his yellow eyes turning out towards the crowd.

"See, Aster? I'm a matchmaker. Hey, maybe that's what I should do with my life instead!" Jack quipped, laughing.

"I think you should stick to the toy business, Jack," Pitch said. "If you make a big name for yourself as a celebrity matchmaker, the fan girls would murder you for pairing their favorite celebrities up."

"Who said he'd be a celebrity matchmaker?" Aster said, his green eyes shining with mirth and mischief. "Maybe he'll stick to small town."

"Don't you know anything? All celebrity matchmakers started out small. You've gotta work your way to the top," Pitch countered.

"Or sleep your way to the top, kinda like how Madonna did in _Evita_," Jamie added.

"Kind of? There is no 'kind of' in that movie. She definitely did," Jack said.

"It's still a good movie," Jamie replied.

"That's because Madonna mostly sings and hardly talks," Pitch muttered into his cup. The others looked at him and he blinked back. "What? It's true."

"Pitch is right. Madonna was absolutely terrible in _Desperately Seeking Susan_," Aster said after a moment.

"Let's not forget _Dick Tracy_. I hated watching that in Movie Club in seventh grade," Pitch told them.

"I liked her _A League of Their Own_," Jack said.

"Me too," Jamie said with a nod.

"That's because she was a supporting character," Pitch argued. "She hardly said a word."

"That is so not true," Jamie retorted.

Jack watched with a grin on his face as Pitch and Jamie continued to argue over Madonna's acting talent – or lack thereof. After a few minutes, the conversation shifted from Madonna to Justin Timberlake – how that happened, Jack wasn't sure, but it did – and then to dragons – because the Shrek franchise was just that awesome - before resting on who had the best milk shakes: McDonalds or Arby's. Songs changed and eventually Christmas music started playing. Half of the school was still there while the other half was sitting down, wandering around, or leaving.

_The Christmas Song _(or, as Jack preferred to call it, _Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire_) began to play and, before he could protest, Aster was dragging Jack towards the dance floor, following after Jamie and Pitch. Jack knew that his boyfriend wasn't all that enthused about dancing, but that he did enjoy slow dancing. Just as the line, "_Jack Frost nipping at your nose_" floated through the air, a few of the nearby jocks began to call over to them.

"Hey Jack, what was it that you're nipping at again?" called one.

"I bet Aster can answer that question!" said another. Jack rolled his eyes and shook his head. Aster's hold on him tightened and his green eyes narrowed as they glared at the two assholes.

"Bug off, ya bunch a wankers!" he hollered after them. They only laughed, but they didn't yell anything else at them.

"Don' pay 'em any heed, Jack," Aster told him comfortingly.

"Don't worry. I wasn't going to," Jack responded as he laid his head against his boyfriend's shoulder, enjoying the warmth and comfort.

They continued to dance, Aster leading him to the gentle sway of the music as it played over head and all around them. Jack stared lazily out at the other teenagers as he moved, starting to feel sleepy. Actually, now that he thought about it, he was really tired. Maybe he should bring it up to Aster so that they could finally leave the stupid dance even though it wasn't that stupid anymore. Before he could even begin to form a sentence in his mind, Jack saw Tooth approach Jamie and Pitch, her hand clutching Sandy's in an iron grip, although it seemed as though Sandy didn't mind that.

"Um…Jamie?" Tooth said, her voice sounding small and unsure. Pitch and Jamie stopped dancing. Jack saw as Pitch's eyes widened and he watched as Jamie approached Tooth, unsure of himself and looking apologetic.

"Hey, Tooth. Listen, I-"

"I'm sorry," Tooth said, her violet eyes meeting Jamie's brown ones. Jamie's mouth fell open, but he quickly shut it.

"W-what did you say?" he asked, his voice small and disbelieving. Tooth sighed heavily.

"I said that I'm sorry. For, you know, everything. For yelling at you and everyone, and for being so mean to you," Tooth added as she looked at Pitch. He gazed back at her.

"I don't really blame you. It's not like I was nice to you or anything, so it was to be expected," Pitch told her.

"Yeah, but still, I shouldn't have lost my temper and I should have treated any of you like that," Tooth said as she looked at them all, her eyes falling on Sandy last before she looked back at Jamie. "I should've told you long ago that I like you."

"You should have, but it would've ended the same anyway. I've always liked guys, Tooth. You've known that for, like, ever," Jamie said.

"I know, but I couldn't help but think that maybe…" she trailed off and Jack saw that she was obviously fighting hard to keep her eyes from filling with tears. Tooth smiled, a small, sad smile, and held her arms open for a hug. "Friends again?"

"I didn't even know we had stopped being friends," Jamie told her as he hugged her hard, patting her back a few times before they let each other go. Tooth's smile grew, but she still looked a little sad. Jack figured that she was entitled to feeling sad; after all, it was hard to get over someone after liking them for a long time.

"The song's almost over. Wanna sit down with us?" Jamie asked Tooth.

"Yeah. I'd like that a lot. Pippa and Cupcake are awesome, but I've missed you guys," she answered. They made their way across the dance floor and towards the table they had claimed as their own.

"I gotta go to the bathroom," Jamie said before he sat down. Sandy nodded and they headed towards the restrooms.

"I'm thirsty, now that ya mention it. Want me t' get you a drink?" Aster asked Jack as he stood up from his chair.

"Sure, babe," Jack said, smiling gratefully. That slow dance had taken a lot out of him, after all.

"Crap! I left my purse with Cupcake," Tooth said. "I'll be right back, guys. Promise!" She scanned the crowd for the large brunette girl. When she spotted her in her pink dress, Tooth walked over to her.

As Jack sat there with Pitch, another sudden, quite random, thought came to his mind. Well, it wasn't exactly random or sudden. He had been thinking about it for a while now, but he had never had the chance to ask it until now. So, turning towards the taller teen, who looked just as tired as Jack felt, he opened his mouth and said, "Hey, can I ask you a question?"

"You just did, but go ahead," Pitch said, a small smirk playing on his lips. Jack rolled his eyes but grinned despite himself.

"Before, when you were hitting on me while trying to get Aster back…why did you do it? And be serious about it. I want an actual answer," Jack told him. Pitch looked genuinely shocked at the question and he thought about it for a little bit.

"Control," he answered after what seemed like forever but what was actually just a couple of seconds.

"Control?" Jack asked, puzzled. Pitch nodded firmly and he met Jack's gaze.

"My parents control, quite literally, everything that goes on in our family. Where I go to college, what I'll be doing with my life…they already have it planned out," Pitch explained to him.

"You could always say no," Jack said.

"If I did, then there goes my college career and what little relationship I happen to have with my parents," Pitch said, looking away. "They're my parents, Jack. I don't want to let them down. I love them."

"I get that, but you shouldn't feel obligated to do what they want. And even if you do, you shouldn't take it out on the people around you."

"I know that and I can't change what I did," Pitch replied. "Nor am I going to tell my parents to fuck off even though I'd love nothing more than to do so."

"Maybe you will someday. You know, after college and all that jazz," Jack offered in an attempt to comfort Pitch.

"Perhaps…" Pitch said. The conversation stopped right there.

Aster came back with two cups of punch in his hands at the same time that Tooth returned to the table, her purse dangling over her bony shoulder. A minute later, Jamie and Sandy arrived at the table and they sat and talked for a little while before the dance was drawn to a close. It surprised Jack that he had stayed for the entire thing. And he was glad that Tooth and Sandy were both feeling a lot better and were back to themselves. He was also glad to have finally asked Pitch something that he been nagging at him for a while. Now, all that was left for him to do was go home and snuggle with his boyfriend until they both fell asleep on his bed.


	21. In Which There is Always Love

A/N: May I just say that I had originally planned this story to be about fifteen chapters long. But it's been fun, more so than I thought it would be. So, it's with a heavy heart that I say that this is the final chapter of this story. Yes, I know, I know. A lot of you will be upset and disappointed, but like I said, it wasn't supposed to be this long anyway. And don't worry; the last chapter will definitely be worth it. Thanks for all of the support and feedback. You guys rock my socks. R&R. Enjoy!

**Chapter Twenty-One**

**In Which There is Always Love**

Jack was more than content, lying on top of Aster on the couch, watching _Santa Claus is Coming to Town_. He loved those old Christmas specials; they were his favorites and he watched them every year they were on. His dad would often join him, but he was at his toy company, finishing up some last minute paperwork on an order before he took his usual Christmas holiday. Dad always took a holiday during Christmas time, starting at seven o'clock every Christmas Eve without fail. So he'd be joining both Jack and Aster for the Christmas specials, but he'd be missing his favorite one, which was the one they were watching right now.

Not that Jack was lonely, because he wasn't. Aster was with him and he'd never felt alone when he was with his boyfriend. And as he'd be spending the night, Jack didn't even mind the fact that his dad would be coming home in an hour or so. From what Aster had told Jack, and from what Mr. and Mrs. Bunnymund told him, all of Aster's family had arrived for the Christmas holiday, as was the norm. Between deaf grandparents and loud and obnoxious cousins running all throughout the house, Aster had wanted to get out and get away. Jack understood; he'd probably lose his mind if he had to put up with a large family every single Christmas. It must have been nice though, in an I'll-laugh-about-it-later-but-definitely-not-right -now-when-you're-all-here kind of way.

With his head resting on his boyfriend's shoulder, Jack cuddle closer to the taller teen and grinned as he watched Chris and Topper jumped across the roof tops. He had seen this special a thousand times – well, not literally, but whatever – and it never got old. Winter was Jack's favorite time of year and he loved all of the Christmas specials that came along with it (except for the second Misers' movie; that was a piece of crap). Being able to spend this Christmas with someone he really, truly cared about made it that much better. Cuddling on the couch, watching Christmas specials on Christmas Eve, and drinking hot chocolate was pure heaven, especial considering that he definitely needed a break from high school drama and drama as a whole.

The school dance was only two nights ago and it had been mostly boring and tense. It wasn't until Tooth apologized did things get better and less awkward. They were all talking to each other again and seemed, for the most part, happy. After Christmas Day, they all had plans to go out to the movies and then to the Coffee Stop afterwards. Pitch was even invited, which made sense because he and Jamie were dating now. He wasn't sure what movie they would see, but he hoped that doing things with Pitch would help settle things down, at least with Tooth. Not that they were at each other's throats, because they weren't, but one never knew. Anything could happen, Jack knew that, and he'd rather good things happen than bad things. Aster didn't seem to mind Pitch coming along. Things would probably never go back to the way they were before everything, but Jack hoped that they'd become good friends again at least.

Jack turned his eyes away from the TV and towards the Christmas tree. It was a real one because Dad always insisted on having a real one every single year, and Jack, Aster, and Dad had decorated it the night before the dance. There were bulbs of every color on it and in various shapes. The star on the top of the tree changed colors and when the tinsel caught the light just right, it made the tree glitter with rainbow colors (and no, he doesn't want to even think about the fact that his Christmas tree might be all for gay pride because, well, it's dead). Decorating it had been a lot of fun. Between Dad talking to Aster about anything and everything and trying to stop Dad from eating all of the candy canes before they made it to the tree, Jack could say that it had been a blast.

There were Christmas presents under the tree. Dad and Jack always put them underneath on Christmas Eve; it was a tradition that dated back to Jack's thirteen Christmas, when he stopped believing in Santa Claus. In a way, he never actually stopped believing in Santa because his dad was a lot like the Big Red Man, what with being the Big Man of his toy company. Jack's presents to Aster were under the tree as well and he was kind of surprised that his dad had gotten Aster a few things as well. Then again, he probably shouldn't be, but still. They hadn't been together for that long, but his relationship with Aster has been the longest one he's ever had. And Dad likes Aster, so it's all good in the end.

"What time's your dad gettin' home?" Aster asked him suddenly. Jack looked up at his boyfriend for a second before he checked his phone.

"Any minute now. It's almost seven. He always stops work on Christmas Eve around seven and it takes him about fifteen minutes to get home," Jack told him.

"Oh, okay. So, are we making dinner then or is he?" Aster said as his fingers ran through Jack's snow white hair.

"Usually, I make dinner since he gets home late. But I could always use an extra set of hands in the kitchen," Jack teased, grinning up at his boyfriend. Aster arched a brow and grinned back at him.

"Oh, ho, ho, ho. If that's the case then, I'll be more than glad t' help. What're ya makin' anyway?" Aster continued to play with Jack's hair and the smaller teen pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.

"I was thinking about making something simple. Like chicken alfredo," Jack said.

"Shouldn't we get started then? I dunno about you, but I'm starvin'," Aster said. Jack rolled his eyes but grinned despite himself.

"I can't see how you can be starving. You had, what, three Big Macs from McDonalds, a bag of popcorn, and a bag of Tootsie Rolls in the past three hours. How can you be hungry?" Jack asked him, kind of in awe. "I had two Double Cheeseburgers and a large fry and I was stuffed for, like, ever." The fact that Aster could probably eat an entire elephant by himself never ceased to amaze Jack. It was both cute and kind of gross, especially if they went to fast food joints like Mickey D's.

"I'm a growin' boy, Jack! I need m' nutrients to help grow big and strong," Aster protested, his green eyes light with laughter.

"You're plenty big and strong as it is," Jack told him. Aster chuckled and waggled his brows.

"I can show ya how big and strong I am later if ya want," he replied. That made Jack blush, but he rolled his eyes again to cover up his embarrassment.

He had already talked to Aster about sex and that when he was ready he'd let him know. Aster, being the totally amazing boyfriend that he was, understood completely and told Jack that he hadn't had sex with anyone ever himself. That had made Jack feel a whole lot better about the whole thing. Untangling himself, albeit reluctantly, from his boyfriend's warm and welcoming body, Jack stood up and stretched. His blue eyes watched as _Santa Claus is Coming to Town_ ended before he snatched up the remote and stopped it.

"Let's get cooking, my handsome assistant of mine," Jack declared, starting for the kitchen. He heard Aster stand up and stretch behind him before he followed suit.

"Are you going to wear that lovely red and white checkered apron?" Aster asked, laughing.

"Um, no. That's my dad's," Jack told him. "Can you start on the chicken? I've got the noodles and the sauce."

"Sure," Aster pulled the boneless chicken breast out of the frig and opened it up. "Um…what do I do now?"

Jack laughed and pulled out a skillet from in the compartment that was attached to the stove. Setting it on the stove, he turned a burner on medium and grabbed some olive oil and garlic. Pulling a knife out of one of the drawers, he placed it on the counter top beside the cutting board.

"First things first: wash your hands." Aster did as he was told. Jack continued. "Now, slice up the chicken and grill it in the skillet. If you slice the chicken into small pieces, it won't take so long to cook."

"Sounds easy enough," Aster mumbled to himself as he began slicing up the chicken. Jack watched him to make sure he had it before he went back to pouring water into a pot.

"It is. Haven't you ever cooked before?" Jack asked him.

"Not really, no," Aster admitted. "I can make soup and Top Ramen, but nothin' fancy like this."

Jack set the pot on the stove and turned the burner on. It's take a few minutes before it would begin to boil, but he'd use that time to get the rest of the things he needed for dinner. Making his way to the frig, he started pulling out the milk, butter, cream cheese, zucchini, and broccoli and placed them on the counter. Then he took a box of fettuccini pasta out of the cupboards.

"Chicken alfredo isn't all that fancy, but it's good. One of my personal favorites," Jack said. "Now, when you're done with the chicken, put it in the skillet with the olive oil and garlic and don't overcook it."

"I think I can handle that," Aster replied as he finished slicing the chicken.

They continued dodging each other and working side by side in the kitchen until the front door opened. Jack knew it was Dad before he heard him call out "I'm home!". With a big smile on his face, Jack turned and stood in the doorway of the kitchen.

"In here, Dad!" he called out. North hung his heavy winter coat on the coat rack and made his way to the kitchen, his boots making loud footsteps on the floor.

"What is going on here?" he asked as he entered the kitchen. Taking a deep breath, he smiled. "Smells nice."

"Chicken alfredo, Dad. It should be done soon," Jack told him.

"Good. Good," North said as he sat down at the table. "How are you, Aster?"

"'M good, North," Aster answered as he kept watch on the chicken in the skillet, stirring it every so often. "You?"

When the water started boiling, Jack poured the fettuccini noodles into the pot and stirred them. He then started on the alfredo sauce, melting the butter and cream cheese first before he added the milk and seasonings. As he worked on dinner, he listened to his dad and Aster talk and would occasionally put his two cents in. Before it was time to drain the noodles, he grabbed some breadsticks from the freezer and popped them into the oven to bake. And then, he drained the noodles and mixed everything together creating a very delicious dinner, breadsticks included.

After dinner was over, Jack, his dad, and Aster went into the living room – North sat on his chair while Jack and Aster took up their original seats on the couch – and started watching _Rudolf and Frosty's Christmas in July_. They remained in the living room watching Christmas specials until Dad declared that it was time for them to get to bed, and no one was going to argue with him. So, Jack and Aster made their way upstairs to Jack's bedroom, taking turns to shower before they hopped into bed.

Jack woke up in the morning with Aster curled around his smaller body. His body was so warm and his arms felt so good around Jack's waist that the white haired teen didn't feel like getting up just yet. It was Christmas Day, after all, and he was allowed to enjoy his boyfriend's presence as much as he wanted to. Snuggling back against Aster's body, Jack closed his eyes and listened to Aster's steady breathing.

"It's Christmas!" came his dad's loud, booming voice that seemed to be shaking the entire house. Jack was so surprised that he jumped up and fell off of his bed. Aster shot straight up like an arrow.

"Wha?! Wha's goin' on?" he asked, his blue-grey haired messy and tangled.

"Dad. That's what," Jack answered. He yawned and turned to look at the alarm clock on his bedside table. Jesus Christ! It was only seven twenty-three in the damn morning! Why, oh why, did his dad do this to him every single year?

"Crikey, it's only seven twenty-three!" Aster said before a gigantic yawn took over.

"Yeah, well, that's my dad on Christmas morning," Jack said as he stood up and rubbed his head. It ached where he hit it on the floor.

"You fell on the floor?" Aster asked as he moved from the bed.

"Yeah, but I'm fine," Jack answered. "Wanna get down stairs and tear into some presents?" he asked with a grin.

"You mean watch as your dad tears into his presents?" Aster said as they left Jack's room and made their way down stairs.

"That's exactly what I mean."

They meandered down the stairs and entered the living room where North was crouched down in front of the Christmas tree. Already there was a lot of wrapping paper and bows strewn all over the floor. The sight made Jack shake his head and laugh all at once. His dad was quite the character, but he loved him for it. Sitting down on the floor beside his dad, Jack grabbed one of his own presents.

"Merry Christmas, Dad," he said. North paused and turned to him.

"Merry Christmas, Jack," his dad responded before bringing Jack in for a big bear hug. Looking up at Aster, North pulled him down into the hug as well. "Merry Christmas, Aster."

After a few seconds of gasping for air, North released both Jack and Aster and the three of them set about unwrapping their Christmas presents.

…

Skype, Sandy had decided, was a useful invention after all. He had rarely ever used it before and, to be honest, he wasn't even sure how to use it. But now, now that he was with Tooth at long last, he had to find some way of communicating with her. Talking on the phone was one thing he absolutely refused to do and texting was just so impersonal. Using Skype to talk face to face was a wonderful solution to the problem.

"How's your Christmas going?" Tooth asked him, a smile on her face. Sandy always thought that she looked beautiful when she smiled.

He nodded and gave her a look that asked the same question only directed at her. Tooth shrugged and giggled softly, a bright smile breaking out on her face. "Mine's been pretty good. I can't wait until tomorrow! It's gonna be so much fun hanging out with everyone. I'm not even bothered that Pitch will be there."

Sandy smiled at her, his eyes crinkling, and he laughed quietly. Tooth's laughter was always so contagious. There were so many things about her that were all so wonderful. He knew the first time he laid eyes on her that he would always love her no matter what, and after having known Tooth for most of his life, Sandy could say (or not say) that he'd probably always love her. Loving her came so easy to him, so natural, that he didn't even have to think about it.

"I guess Pitch isn't _that_ bad. He had to have been a decent guy if Aster was friends with him. And Jamie's a really good judge of character. But if Pitch hurts him, I'll punch him in his penis," Tooth growled. Sandy contemplated her words for a moment before he agreed. As much as he believed in giving Pitch a chance, he'd be all for punching him in his privates if he hurt Jamie in anyway.

They continued their conversation for a little while after that and Sandy found himself smiling more so than he had ever before. But, then again, he supposed that that's what people did when they were in love.

…

Pitch stared down at his phone, feeling uncertain and insecure. He wanted to call him, he wanted to call Jamie and talk to him, asking him how his Christmas went and if he was having a good time…but he couldn't. Although he really, really, _really_ wanted to, Pitch just couldn't press call on his phone. Jamie was a really sweet guy and Pitch really liked him, which surprised the hell out of him, but part of him couldn't help but wonder… Was Jamie playing him or actually interested in him?

Oh yes, Pitch would freely admit on any given day that he was a dickhead. He could make Simon from _American Idol_ look like a fluffy kitten. The only reason anyone ever seemed interested in him was because of his brains, his parents, or because they wanted a quick and easy lay. Honestly, the only person who ever seemed to care about him was his little sister. Even the people he had called friends had left him out to dry; both because of him and because of their own dickheadedness.

Currently, he was up in his room, door locked, and staring at his phone, feeling as unsure and frightened as he had been when Aster had broken up with him. Christmas Day was always a bittersweet holiday for him. His parents usually stayed home and they often made Pitch and his sister get up at seven on the dot for breakfast before they could unwrap presents. Pitch was never fooled by the presents; he knew that their butler was the one who picked out the presents and wrapped them along with some help from the maid. But, as long as his sister was happy, he was okay. He could even put up with his parents' not so subtle comments about how much of a letdown Pitch was and what he'd have to do in order to get into the college they had chosen for him.

A deep sadness, one he had lived with for far too long, welled up inside of him and Pitch was suddenly overcome with a strong feeling of utter loneliness and despair. He didn't want to feel like that, he didn't want to be alone. Making up his mind, he called Jamie and waited with baited breath, his heart pounding, as it rang once, twice….

Jamie picked up on the third ring.

"Pitch! Hey, how are you?" Jamie's voice, bright and cheerful, resounded throughout his room. Pitch always used the speaker when making a phone call in his room. His heart tightened and a small, genuine smile, worked its way onto his face as the thought that Jamie was actually happy to hear from him.

"I'm all right. You? How has your Christmas been?" he asked.

"Great! Oh, my gosh! Sophie got this tie dye kit and tried to use it on our dog! Luckily, Mom caught her just in time," Jamie laughed. "Anyway, how was your Christmas?"

"It was okay. Same old, just different year," he answered.

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that," Jamie said and he sounded genuinely sorry and concerned. "At least we have tomorrow to look forward to."

"That's true. Are you sure that my being there won't cause any…problems?" As much as Pitch didn't care if people liked him or not, for once, he wanted this…thing between him and Jamie to work out. That meant that he'd have to get along well with the others. Jack was already a friend and his relationship with Aster was patching up. Sandy seemed to like him okay. Tooth was going to be the hardest to win over, but he kind of deserved her spite.

"They wouldn't have invited you if they thought you'd cause problems. Besides, you're pretty much friends with Jack and you're definitely friends with me and then some, who the others have no choice but to warm up to you eventually," Jamie told him, trying to cheer him up. The odd thing was that it was working.

"I suppose that's true," he admitted.

"It's definitely true. And it's going to be a blast!"

Pitch's smile widened at Jamie's obvious excitement. "It'll be nice to go out with friends for once."

"Yup. You're practically one of the gang," Jamie told him.

Pitch liked the sound of that. He really did. It had been so long since he actually hung out with people who he could call his friends. And it'd been a while since he went to a movie with someone who wasn't his sister. Although he loved his sister with all of his heart, he couldn't very well take her to see anything that was above a G rating.

"Hey, Pitch?" Jamie's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Yes, Jamie?"

"Merry Christmas," Jamie said and Pitch could practically hear the smile in his voice.

"Merry Christmas to you, too, Jamie."

Things were going to be different now. Pitch could feel it. And although that thought scared him, it also made him feel excited. Besides, he wasn't alone. Not really, not with Jamie by his side. Perhaps things wouldn't work out, but he wouldn't know unless he walked down that path, and that was what he was going to do.


End file.
